7george wrote: ↑Thu Aug 16, 2018 12:12 am Cacti should originate or be created somewhere in South America, maybe Brazil: the greatest diversity region of species is there now.

This is not always how it works. Passeriformes originated in Australia, for example, but their greatest diversity is in South America and Southeast Asia.

Usually holiday cactus means Schlumbergera. I don't think Schlumbergera experiences seasonal change, so from that perspective it won't matter when you plant it. It will probably like things humid and warm but not hot. You should probably plant them soon, though, because it's a habitat that doesn't f...

Dave, that is very interesting. I'm reminded that Yavia does something similar. See, for example: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3496/3198387508_aa43386482.jpg It's amazing how these plants can grow up through the substrate after being completely covered, sometimes by fairly large stones relative to...

There is so much unexplored territory possibly containing cacti left Ruth. If you go to habitat you are usually taken to the known locality of a species on one hillside. Looking around you can see many similar hills in the area and if you ask "what plants are on those" you are told "...

There are some cactus species that grow mostly underground in the wild but above ground in cultivation, and in some cases it changes their appearance hugely. The one that particularly comes to mind is Ariocarpus scaphirostris (I hope that's the correct spelling now?), but Ariocarpus trigonus sometim...

Does anyone know what's actually happening within the plant at a chemical level that is causing the color change? Is it similar to how chlorophyll will break down at lower temperatures and cause the green color to leave leaves leaving less leaf looking colors? I believe it's the opposite process--p...

I don't know if this is what you were thinking of, but the following paper refers to the markings as "thorn pressmarks," but suggests that they're a form of automimicry--the plant imitates its own thorns to make itself look thornier than it actually is, because doing so is cheaper than inv...

Hi all, new member. Comparing pictures of wild and cultivated Conophytum, it appears that at least some species at least sometimes have red, orange, or reddish-brown leaves in the wild. However, these species do not always exhibit these effects in cultivation. Conophytum ficiforme https://proxy.duck...