New growth

[WayneByerly]

i have a problem with spiders like you have a problem with birds.

Love those too! Except pigeons i hate pigeons! Their sounds are very annoying
Used to hunt a lot of birds. They're so delicious baked with garlic and lemon juice. Now i just admore their beauty

I like the way they look too! Especially when they are on my plate!

[ElieEstephane]

i have a problem with spiders like you have a problem with birds.

Love those too! Except pigeons i hate pigeons! Their sounds are very annoying
Used to hunt a lot of birds. They're so delicious baked with garlic and lemon juice. Now i just admore their beauty

I like the way they look too! Especially when they are on my plate!

Hilarious

[WayneByerly]

So nice pictures you have here!

OK Pompom ... these are just for you... well, I can't stop anyone else from looking (nor would I if I could) ... but I CAN post them with JUST you in mind. Ladies first gentlemen!!!



This Austrocylindropuntia has done an odd thing. It's made something of an "S" turn, and there are almost NONE of the tiny green fingers that normally indicate new growth. This first pic was taken from the top of the plant. Starting at the far left ... oops ... the picture has been rotated 90 degrees to the right, so turn it back 90 to the left in your mind when reading the rest of this paragraph ... the upper plant edge goes up and to the right, and then down and to the right and then back up, and starts to curl back in on itself.

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In this second pic, taken from the back, you can see it curling in on itself. I wonder what it's going to do when there's no more room to curl.

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but then other parts of the plant are exhibiting great degrees of growth.

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These two Ferocactus latispinus seedlings are, at most, .75 inches wide...

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... but notice that the spines are already curved and hooked, and are already developing the red latispinus spine color.

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Right in the center of this new growth on this Mammillaria baumi, you can see a tightly bunched ... well, bunch ... of new spines.The existing spines are off-white. The new spines are all white.

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A closeup of the top of a 1.25 inch wide Mammillaria hahniana seedling.

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I also have another TINY pot, but this one has two heads. I've a rectangular pot with 3 heads in it, but no new picture of it. The focus of this picture is just abominable ... atrocious ... I extend my apologies.

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The new growth on this Myrtillocactus geometrizans is really bright green, but for some reason, the picture just does not duplicate that contrasting green. I'm disappointed. But it DOES duplicate the RED of the new spines very well.

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MY stenocereus pruinosis only has 5 ribs. Yours has more. Is that difference what determines one species or another?

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This one is because you've admired my LOOOOONNNNG spined Stetsonia coryne
Back in Dec of 2017, I posted a topic asking what was wrong with my cactus ... it was turning yellow.

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Now, look at an areole about 2 inches down from the top. It's almost round is it not? Now look at one right AT THE TOP ... it's oval ... it's growing SO fast that the areole has become stretched. And look at the color of the new growth spines. And look at the color of the body at the top that is the new growth. See how dark green it is? That yellow period it went through MUST have been a severe need for water. It's doing GREAT now!

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[WayneByerly]

i hate pigeons! Their sounds are very annoying

Pigeons are sometimes called "sky rats" in some places in the U.S. Real PESTS!

They are the cause of much damage to buildings.

[Pompom]

I have not so much a fear of little creatures as a general dislike of wildlife in general, as carriers of vermin (such as fleas) and diseases. Even cats and dogs carry vermin. You may recall that the black plague was carried by the fleas that mice and rats bore. Who knows what the bite of a wild animal carries? You hear on an irregular basis that raccoons carry rabies. And if raccoons do, then why not other animals? I cannot help but feel that insects may very will be the carriers of something that I'm sure you wouldn't want to have. You always hear about mosquitoes being the carriers of some kind of disease. I just don't think we as human beings have any business living with wildlife. I don't like unsanitary conditions.

We quite regularly see deer, raccoons, groundhogs, possums and skunks. I much prefer living in nice clean sanitary conditions, and not have to deal with the vagaries of what kind of pests or vermin or diseases wild animals and insects might carry.

And please, please, please, please... DON'T get me started on spiders!

I'm aware of the fact that there's always bugs everywhere. But the little birds are just the horrible thing. Big birds in the other hand are OK. But much more horrible creatures to me are moths. I don't know why but I'd call it almost like phobia. Every time I see one I get shivers, start sweat, would like to vomit and run away. They just horrify me. I don't want to even see one. Little birds are OK if they stay far and don't come close (again the fleas).
Here in Finland we don't have any obviously dangerous animals. We have bears and wolves but they live deep in the woods and avoid humans. Most of the animals avoid humans. Viper bite is dangerous if you happen to be allergic to the poison. Bats can carry rabies but no one should touch a bat in general anyways. There's also few insects which can cause harm, but usually nothing serious if you're not allergic. Moose I think cause most of the deaths since they tend to cross driveways just before the cars... Reindeers could cause large damage too in the driveways but they travel in large herds so you can't miss them while driving (Struggle is real when you can't move forward or backwards because there's reindeers everywhere. They don't even mind the horn). If the reindeers happen to be close to the houses in the time they mate, they should be avoided since male reindeers might want to fight you since it can't tell the difference of human and other reindeer because of the hormones. And then of course any wild animal bite can cause tetanus for example and we can get epidemic nephropathy from rodent feces if we go in old buildings. There are dangers everywhere. But the hen fleas, those I don't want to have even when they just bite once and go away since humans taste bad. They are not harmful.

There's one seriously poisonous spider, Chilean recluse spider, population living in Finland but again they cause no harm in general since they only live in Luomus which is Finnish museum of natural history in the city of Helsinki. They live in the structures and basement of the building.

So Finland is a safe place to live in general when it comes to wildlife and nature. I think most dangerous animal here is human. Most dangerous thing in the nature are misidentified mushrooms. And of course the weather can be dangerous. But in general, there's nothing to be afraid so I'm afraid of silly things.

[Pompom]

OK Pompom ... these are just for you... well, I can't stop anyone else from looking (nor would I if I could) ... but I CAN post them with JUST you in mind. Ladies first gentlemen!!!

I'm flattered! Thank you for sharing the pictures!

This first pic was taken from the top of the plant. Starting at the far left ... oops ... the picture has been rotated 90 degrees to the right, so turn it back 90 to the left in your mind when reading the rest of this paragraph ... the upper plant edge goes up and to the right, and then down and to the right and then back up, and starts to curl back in on itself.

I had to read this like ten times because I continuously forgot what I read What a weird growth indeed!

In this second pic, taken from the back, you can see it curling in on itself. I wonder what it's going to do when there's no more room to curl.

This is just a hunch but I can imagine it to swallow the part it collides. Have you ever seen pictures of the trees which have swallowed bicycles or other objects? Something like that could happen with your plant too.

Right in the center of this new growth on this Mammillaria baumi, you can see a tightly bunched ... well, bunch ... of new spines.The existing spines are off-white. The new spines are all white.

I LOVE THOSE SPINES! The color is just amazing! I need to add this plant to my list now.

A closeup of the top of a 1.25 inch wide Mammillaria hahniana seedling.

It's so cute! I'm so happy I got this new hahniana baby because I'd be so envious of this little cutie you have.

MY stenocereus pruinosis only has 5 ribs. Yours has more. Is that difference what determines one species or another?

I'm not sure. In the past mine had one rib less and at some point grew two on top of that. There's also differences in the spines. The species also look very different when older. Yours should stay somehow striped and mine will turn just shiny green. I can be completely wrong with this.

This one is because you've admired my LOOOOONNNNG spined Stetsonia coryne.
Back in Dec of 2017, I posted a topic asking what was wrong with my cactus ... it was turning yellow.

Now, look at an areole about 2 inches down from the top. It's almost round is it not? Now look at one right AT THE TOP ... it's oval ... it's growing SO fast that the areole has become stretched. And look at the color of the new growth spines. And look at the color of the body at the top that is the new growth. See how dark green it is? That yellow period it went through MUST have been a severe need for water. It's doing GREAT now!

Thank you very much! I'm happy to hear it has recovered. I love this plant. If I ever get one, I'm sure I can't hold my hands and have to touch the spines. I also want at least one species with weird curved spines. They look dangerous and weird and cool at the same time.

Thank you very much of these pictures! Seeing these make me want more cacti right now! I want to see the development of the plants. More plants I have, more development I'll see. More photos I could shave with everyone. Simple.

[WayneByerly]

I also want at least one species with weird curved spines. They look dangerous and weird and cool at the same time.

Elie ... this post is for you too if you do not have one of these cacti.

Then I have JUST the cactus you want, Pompom. I included a picture of it as a seedling in my last post. Ferocactus latispinus. It has three kinds of spines:

• round spines, straight - offwhite to tan

• flat (wide and thick), straight - reddish brown

• flat (wider and thicker), curved - reddish brown

All of which are as hard as steel springs, and sharp like you would not believe. The pictures I include here just don't do them justice. These spines will HURT you!!!
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Warning: these first three pictures are rated "PG-13" because they depict the ability to inflict damage
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Look at the areole in the center of this first picture, about one third of the way down from the top. The areoles have all 3 kinds of spines ... ALL of which have a truly incredible ability to HURT you!!!

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Lower right corner of the picture, almost at the edge. Look at how WIDE that spine is ... and how wickedly curved! At the risk of being repetative, these spines will HURT you!!! Comparing the spines of this cactus to the spines of another cactus is like comparing sewing needles to a Scottish Claymore!!!

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And now, you know all you need to know about Ferocactus latispinus ... what it looks like as a seedling ... what it looks like when mature ... what the areoles with ALL 3 types of spines look like ... what buds look like ... and what the flowers look like (a beautiful, gorgeouse shade of purple/pink).

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I hope you found this posting instructive.
(EOM)

[WayneByerly]

I'm aware of the fact that there's always bugs everywhere. But the little birds are just the horrible thing. Big birds in the other hand are OK. But much more horrible creatures to me are moths.

I kinda have to agree with you ... there's something profoundly ... CREEPY ... about them.

Butterflies are pretty, they're light ... they weigh hardly anything ... moths are hard and they have more mass. They're just ... CREEPY!!!

and here's the worst part ... my lights (grow lights for my plants) stay on 16 hours a day ... into the nighttime hours ... which attracts HUNDREDS of them to my living room and kitchen windows.

[ElieEstephane]

Never managed to find a latispinus and i really wish to find one but i have other baby ferocacti that are starting to develop nasty curved spines.
On the subject of nasty spines, my stetsonia decided to throw out an arm. However, i still consider these spines very manageable and harmless if kept away from.

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I retain that pilosocereus spines are the nastiest you'll ever meet: extremely sharp and skinny so it will break inside your skin causing constant pain.

Here's another nasty little one:

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[WayneByerly]

... my stetsonia decided to throw out an arm.

oooohhhhh ... too cool! I'm extremely glad to see this. Now I know that mine may do this somewhere in the not too distant future. Congratulations Elie on such a fascinating development.

And just LOOK at the color of those spines ... I just LOVE that! The color of new growth is ... its like ... well, it's like a promise that things are going to continue.

However, i still consider these spines very manageable and harmless if kept away from.

I have to agree with you there. They are SO big that you cannot help but notice them and be aware enough of them to stay away from them.

[ElieEstephane]

And just LOOK at the color of those spines

And they color beautifully in the rain

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[WayneByerly]

Right in the center of this new growth on this Mammillaria baumi, you can see a tightly bunched ... well, bunch ... of new spines.The existing spines are off-white. The new spines are all white.

No, no, no, no, no ... What kind of maroon are you? ... am I?

Pompom ... I posted a picture in THIS topic, and Identified it as a Mammillaria baumi. You made a reply that said ...

So nice pictures you have here!

... Well, it was NOT a Mammillaria baumi, but an Echinocereus sanpedroensis!

But its easy to see how I could make such a mistake. After all, they ARE spelled SO much alike aren't they?

OK ... foolin' around jokin' aside ... I don't know HOW I made such a mistake. But at least I AM correcting it.

And ... AND to make up for it I'll show you something that showed up just a few minutes ago. I reported this cactus as having split down one side due to over-watering. ElieEstephane told me that It was a GOOD thing. That it splitting down the side as it did kept the roots from rotting.

The first thing I do when I get up in the morning, is to visit my cacti to see if they are doing anything new. This cactus has had a bud growing for DAYS, but was still a bud when I got up this morning. It was STILL a bud when I transferred one of my cacti from inside to outside around noon. But when I went out just now, THERE it was. Another one of those deep dark red flowers.

When I posted the original picture it looked something like this Pompom.

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Now you get to see that it not only has cool spines, but pretty flowers (DERN!!! This first picture did not focus well. Sorry.).

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This picture turned out VERY well.

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This last picture is a closeup (the closest of this series) of the flower.

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So ... Sorry for the misidentification. Hope somebody got something from this!

[Pompom]

... Well, it was NOT a Mammillaria baumi, but an Echinocereus sanpedroensis!

But its easy to see how I could make such a mistake. After all, they ARE spelled SO much alike aren't they?

Lol, you're so funny! Such similar names they have, I almost can't tell the difference I figured it was misidentified when I tried to google the species to show the spines to my husband. It was so late I wasn't able to come here and point out your mistake. But better later than never! Thanks for the correct identification! And the mammillarias flower is so beautiful! The stamen (I hope this is right word for it) looks edible, like raspberry.

[WayneByerly]

APOLOGY: I wrote the text describing these pictures while looking at them through my File Explorer supplied by windows. And then this foolish forum software insists on turning some of them 90 degrees ... sorry ... and then I didn't feel like going back through them and fixing my spacial coordinates because of that ... sorry ...

Thanks for the correct identification! And the mammillarias flower is so beautiful!

NOT a Mammillaria ... Echinocactus sanpedroensis. Looks like you made the SAME mistake in spelling that I did ... seeing as how they were SO close to being the same.

OK ... here's the REAL deal ... pictures of the Echinocereus sanpedroensis ... cactus ... AND flowers for the last two years.
05/17/2017
on this date, it starts a bud... but they don't last long. four or five days at the most, and they wilt and fall off.

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05/21/2017
... on this date, you can see the flower from the last picture closed up, but it has produced another flower in the mean time ...

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06/24/2017
... but those didn't last long either, and THEY dropped off, and then the next month, on 6/24 it's got ANOTHER flower AND has THREE more buds, only one of which you can see in the background ... well, MAYBE you can see another under the flower in the foreground...

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06/25/2017
... and by the next day the 5/24 flower from above is closing (upper right), two more have opened (foreground) and another is JUST beginning to open (lower right) ...

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5/20/2018
It DID produce quite a show of flowers last year, but NO new growth. This is what it looked like this year just as its started to produce a bud. Along WITH the new growth that you can see in the spines at its crest.

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if my basic mathematical skills still serve me correctly (and sometimes they dont, sigh) that makes 6 flowers in about 6 weeks or so ... quite a spectacular show ... but that was last year ... we'll see what it does this year. I'm fertilizing this year, and SOME things are doing more than they have done in the past. If this cactus does anything like it did last year, i'll keep you updated.



OOPS!!!! I forgot these. These aren't cacti, but they are unusual enough that I thought I'd show them to you all!!

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[WayneByerly]

Elie
WHAT is that cactus in picture named "20180509_124322-1200x1600.jpg" ... bright green with SHORT WIDE spines ... TOO cool, hah?