ID help please for a newbie with Cactus Fever!

[TexasSpikes]

Hi guys -

Fantastic site here. I just recently caught cactus fever and found a real gold mine at a local, high end nursery, and they are on sale right now. I'll probably have a few more photos for help over the next couple of days but thought I'd start with this.

Anybody able to give me a positive ID or suggestion on what this could be? The tall column is maybe 4.5", both are around 3/4" in diameter. Any input on current health or condition is certainly welcomed.

Thanks in advance!


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[ElieEstephane]

Hello and welcome to the forum!
Im gonna go out on a limb here and say pilosocereus chrysostele but bear in mind that it could be something completely different.
Are they droopy by nature or they're soft?

[TexasSpikes]

Thanks for the quick reply!

I wouldn't call them droopy at all. They will kinda flex if I try to bend them gently. The spines are fairly soft compared to some that stuck in my hand at the nursery yesterday

[ElieEstephane]

Hmm pilosocereus spines usually are very very sharp
I have some doubt now about it being a pilosocereus.
Hildewintera aureispina perhaps?

[TexasSpikes]

Some of the google photo results look pretty much right on for Hildewintera, for what it's worth.

If I'm understanding this site correctly, Hildewintera aureispina is the same as Cleistocactus winteri, right?

Thanks again so much!

[DaveW]

I seem to detect a bit of a granular rather than smooth epidermis in one picture? If so it could be a Weberbauerocereus as that is one of that genus's characteristics, but it's hard to tell from a photo though.

[TexasSpikes]

I seem to detect a bit of a granular rather than smooth epidermis in one picture? If so it could be a Weberbauerocereus as that is one of that genus's characteristics, but it's hard to tell from a photo though.

I gotta tell you, Dave, I don't even know what that means! I will look into it though as it sounds like it could be helpful in identification. When I look with my bare eye the skin seems quite smooth but with the zoom lens on the camera I do see a bit of a granular look though I can't really tell if it's actual texture or coloration.

[ElieEstephane]

But at this age, cleistocactus winteri should probably have an offset or 2
With such a small cactus, we are all shooting in the dark

[DaveW]

Yes it's hard to describe, but I noticed it in the 1960's when Ritter's plants started to be raised from seed. I have never seen a photo that really shows it and if you can't see it with your naked eye it's probably not a Weberbauerocereus. One advantage of seeing the plants in the flesh rather than in photo's.

[ElieEstephane]

It's like your earlier comment about distiguishing between some espostoa species and Cephalocereus senilis. You have to handle both

[7george]

Cleistocactus winteri ?