Mysterious Old Friends:

Rebel Squirrel · Post by **Rebel Squirrel** » Wed Aug 10, 2011 12:07 am

Crossposted from the Member Topics forum:

Mystery Cactus #1:

This plant's never flowered and I don't expect it to. It's not happy but it's not dead either. It was too close to the window a couple of years back and got badly sunburnt (or was it cold damage? I don't remember!) so it's corked up the one side; otherwise its best color is a light green. The new spines this year seem to be stronger than in previous years so maybe I'm doing something right.

Mystery Cactus #2:

I think it might be a G. pflanzii but it might be a handful of other things as well. It hasn't bloomed yet.

Mystery Cactus #3:

I've had this plant for about ten years tentatively ID'd as maybe a Haageocereus but now I'm thinking it might be Cleistocactus icosagonus (aka "That one that kind of looks like a Haageocereus..."). It sprouted the arm on the right side of the first pic a year or so after I got it, and hasn't done much except get wider ever since.

Post by **CoronaCactus** » Wed Aug 10, 2011 2:38 am

1. Cerueus something...
2. ya, pencil in G. pflanzi until it flowers. I see an old bud on the areole furthest to the right, i bet more are to come soon.
3. I probably said Cleisto back then...i'll stick to it

It shouldn't be long before it flowers, that new stem took up alot of battery power!

Post by **daiv** » Wed Aug 10, 2011 5:09 am

I'll go with Darryl on those last two. That first one I can't even begin to guess what it is. It might be obvious once known, but as for now I'm stumped.

ray283 · Post by **ray283** » Fri Aug 12, 2011 9:29 am

1 Trichocereus Bridgessii ? Form and shape ok, colour of this species does vary with light.
2 I'll go with Darryl. G.Pflanzii
3 Cleistocactus Icosagonus ( or whaterever the new name is now )

Yours
Ray

iann · Post by **iann** » Fri Aug 12, 2011 1:09 pm

That first one isn't Trichocereis bridgesii. I don't think it is a Trichocereus at all, but there are some that are similar.

Rebel Squirrel · Post by **Rebel Squirrel** » Fri Aug 12, 2011 9:10 pm

The most distinctive thing about Specimen #1 is that the felt on the areoles is definitely a sandy tan color and not white. I think that and the lime green color of the body were what appealed to me - it was a little different than all the white-felted ones.

cosmophonic12 · Post by **cosmophonic12** » Thu Aug 18, 2011 12:43 am

Number one looks something out of the Neoraimondia family??

looks similar to Neoraimondia herzogiana

Post by **daiv** » Thu Aug 18, 2011 5:55 pm

I think this just might be the answer:

http://www.cactiguide.com/cactus/?genus ... ssisepalus

Rebel Squirrel · Post by **Rebel Squirrel** » Sat Aug 27, 2011 1:22 am

Back from vacation and finally had a chance to take a good look at Mystery Plant #1. Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm still not sure - C. crassiepalus has the right color felt but the overall shape and rib count isn't quite the same, while N. herzogiana has similar spines but the felt doesn't match. Since my plant came unlabeled from the grocery store I think it's unlikely to be anything rare in cultivation.

So I'll probably leave it unlabeled for the time being, unless it does something interesting.

Post by **daiv** » Sat Aug 27, 2011 3:35 pm

I've learned to expect rare surprises from that east coast wholesale supplier. Not that I dare insist on the name...