What cactus books hold the test of time?

[EliWhitney3140]

Just curious which books are must haves even after years in the hobby? The book you pick up time after time and always appreciate it's information. I am looking for some good care books but I would love to hear anything that you all feel is a necessity as a cactus lover.

[Steve-0]

This thread will give you a lot to peruse.

https://www.cactiguide.com/forum/viewto ... 27&t=38008

Seems the answer as to what is THE book is Anderson's. Good luck acquiring a copy.

My favorite magazine is Xerophilia.. No longer available....glad I downloaded and printed every issue.

They're on FB if you use that platform.

https://www.facebook.com/Xerophilia-120574961429921

There is also a digital library linked here somewhere. Lots of foreign language publications ....but I found a fantastic paper done in1984 as a follow up to research done decades earlier right in my corner of the world. About 3 hours away. It was my best Cactus read of 2020 besides a dozen issues of Xerofilia.

HTH, happy hunting!

Steve

[One Windowsill]

There is also a digital library linked here somewhere. Lots of foreign language publications ....but I found a fantastic paper done in1984 as a follow up to research done decades earlier right in my corner of the world.

This one?
https://www.cactuspro.com/biblio/en:accueil

I like reading the original descriptions of plants found quite a while ago, so this one is very useful.
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/

[EliWhitney3140]

Wow, thank you Steve-O.

[EliWhitney3140]

That first link you sent was a picture of Lithops, was that the right link?

[DaveW]

In a sense all reference works and original descriptions stand the test of time, as even if classifications change the original descriptions are often referred to for clarification of what the original author meant.

Unfortunately the classics are usually expensive and only available second-hand shortly after publication and are seldom reprinted. They usually sell then at a much greater price than their original publication price. I suppose the classics are Britton and Rose "The Cactaceae", Backeberg's "Die Cactaceae" (in German) Hunt's "New Cactus Lexicon" (Anderson's book is really only a forerunner of Hunt's classification and great on N. American cacti but not so comprehensive on S. American ones) and the latest of course is Lode's "Taxonomy of the Cactaceae". Even when classifications change these type of works hold their prices or gain in value as reference works. However being often two volume works (or six volumes with Die Cactaceae) they usually cost well over £100.

Therefore the best place to consult the older ones online or download any relevant parts you want is the CactusPro link One Windowsill gives above.

However these are books on classification and not cultivation. As you will glean from this forum cultivation methods change with fashions over the years so most methods given in popular books work to a greater or lesser extent and you have to modify these to suit your own conditions since there is no "one size fits all" method. The normal basic beginners books however will identify the most commonly grown species and give cultivation tips.

I do have all the books I listed so can compare them against each other. As to the best Illustrations of usually authentic habitat derived plants Hunt's "Atlas" of illustrations is best, even if some of his "lumping" classification has now proved wrong. The original New Cactus Lexicon only sold the two volumes together and would not split them, therefore Hunt later produced a smaller sized cut down paperback version of the Atlas he called called *Illustrations" including a few revisions which sold at the time for about £30 in the UK I believe, but now more expensive second-hand. However no real text descriptions of the species in it, just pictures since the text descriptions were in the first volume of his Lexicon..

https://www.amazon.co.uk/New-Cactus-Lex ... 0953813495

[EliWhitney3140]

Thank you very much Dave. I am mostly into Chilean cacti (Copiapoas, Eriosyce), I was thinking about purchasing the Copiapoa book but for the price I would like to get the opinion of someone who already owns it.

[EliWhitney3140]

I was also curious of the two Copiapoa books, which was more popular with Hobbyists. The one written by Schultz Attila Rudolf; Kapitany, or the one written by Graham Childs.

[Steve-0]

There is also a digital library linked here somewhere. Lots of foreign language publications ....but I found a fantastic paper done in1984 as a follow up to research done decades earlier right in my corner of the world.

This one?
https://www.cactuspro.com/biblio/en:accueil

I like reading the original descriptions of plants found quite a while ago, so this one is very useful.
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/

Yes, that's the one! Thanks for posting it.

[Steve-0]

That first link you sent was a picture of Lithops, was that the right link?

No, that's not correct, here is the sane thread link. Let's see what happens.

https://www.cactiguide.com/forum/viewto ... 27&t=38008

[Steve-0]

I see what happened with the first link. I typed something right behind the link and deleted it letter by letter. Should have stopped at the 8 in 38008 at the end of the link but deleted the 8 which linked it to the lithops image thread instead . I'll see if I can fix that.


It worked!

[EliWhitney3140]

Thanks Steve, checking it out right now.

[DaveW]

For Eriosyce it is still Fred Kattermann's book, but now only available second-hand. The problem of buying second-hand books on the Web is some of the international book dealers list out of print works at stupid prices. In fact I have seen books still in print listed second-hand at twice the price they were still selling new from the publishers, therefore avoid these dealers.

https://flickriver.com/photos/succulent ... 421114598/

All the Copiapoa books are good, but Graham Charles book is probably simpler to use for those starting off with Copiapoa, though again probably only available second-hand now, but some dealers may have stocks left.

http://www.cactus-mall.com/bookshop/copiapoa.html

If you put "Cactus Books" into the search box for EBAY they are sometimes offered second-hand, or you could try your specialist book dealers.

Our Administrator Daiv runs Exotic Plant Books for new and second-hand botanical books if you are in the USA.

https://exoticplantbooks.com/about/

His equivalent is Keith's Cactus Books in the UK.

http://www.keithscactusbooks.co.uk/

[bitcohen]

The Complete Book of Cacti & Succulents by Terry Hewitt is a good book for beginners.
Must read books... In my opinion A Cactus Odyssey is my favorite book on the topic. It is not a grow guide though. It is a collection of through Central and South America looking for classic examples of common and rare cacti. It gives the reader a sense of how these things grow where they are, some idea of how conservation has and hasn't worked, and some of the challenges facing growers. It reads well like a casual conversation with botanical jargon sprinkled in just enough.