Need help identifying two beautiful cacti please!

TaylorCranage · Post by **TaylorCranage** » Sun Oct 23, 2011 4:37 pm

My brother's girlfriend just moved in and she brought her cacti with her. Unfortunately she could not identify either of them for me and I was interested in purchasing my own. In the top picture I was interested in the center cactus. It is white with a slight green tint and has clusters of small needles. Thanks for the help!

iann · Post by **iann** » Sun Oct 23, 2011 4:46 pm

Cactus, what cactus?

The top one is a variegated Euphorbia lactea crest, grafted onto a different sort of Euphorbia.

The bottom one is an Adenium. I could mention a species but it is probably a hybrid.

TaylorCranage · Post by **TaylorCranage** » Sun Oct 23, 2011 4:52 pm

Wow thanks! I image searched the names you gave me and you're definitely right about the first, but the second I'm not sure. My apologies for the pictures being poor quality, but in the second image, the plant has very sharp needles covered it's branches(?), and the flowers are less like petals and a bit more rubbery. There also very tiny, maybe a little larger than a fingernail.

luddhus · Post by **luddhus** » Sun Oct 23, 2011 4:53 pm

Or is the second plant Euphorbia milii?

TaylorCranage · Post by **TaylorCranage** » Sun Oct 23, 2011 4:57 pm

That's it! Amazing, thank you so much!!

iann · Post by **iann** » Sun Oct 23, 2011 6:04 pm

luddhus wrote:Or is the second plant Euphorbia milii?

If it has spiny stems then yes.

TaylorCranage · Post by **TaylorCranage** » Sun Oct 23, 2011 6:15 pm

Do you happen to know how long that stays flowered for?

martenfisher · Post by **martenfisher** » Sun Oct 23, 2011 6:28 pm

Sorry, but I found that so funny. Started out a smarty pants with "What cactus?" then labeled a euphorbia as being in the genus adenium.

Mike · Post by **Mike** » Sun Oct 23, 2011 7:06 pm

the E milli will have the red bracts for much of the year. You may (or may not) be interested to know that the red flower like structure are actually not flowers, but rather bracts beneath the flower. the actual flower is the small round organ in teh middle.

l

there are some Thai nurseries producing unbelievably pretty ones, all sorts of colors.

iann · Post by **iann** » Sun Oct 23, 2011 7:20 pm

martenfisher wrote:Sorry, but I found that so funny. Started out a smarty pants with "What cactus?" then labeled a euphorbia as being in the genus adenium.

Still not a cactus

TaylorCranage · Post by **TaylorCranage** » Sun Oct 23, 2011 9:49 pm

Thanks so much everyone, can't believe how quickly my questions were answered! Would you care for these plants the same way you would care for a cactus?

lancer99 · Post by **lancer99** » Fri Oct 28, 2011 1:47 am

Mike wrote:You may (or may not) be interested to know that the red flower like structure are actually not flowers, but rather bracts beneath the flower. the actual flower is the small round organ in teh middle.

You may be even less interested to know that the small round organ isn't the flower....it's what the flowers grow from.

As far as care goes, keep in mind that these are forest plants, not desert plants, and need some water over the winter. Just based on your pics (plastic/glazed pots in front of a sunny window) I would give the E. milii hybrid a small drink, maybe 1/2 cup of water, every two weeks or so, and the E. lactea crest a bit less every three weeks.

I'm going out on a limb....everyone's cultural conditions are different. So take my advice with a very large grain of salt

-R

TaylorCranage · Post by **TaylorCranage** » Fri Oct 28, 2011 2:18 am

Thank you! All info is greatly appreciated. Do you know how each would do in a south facing window? I know it's not really recommended but how might this negatively affect the plants?

TaylorCranage · Post by **TaylorCranage** » Fri Oct 28, 2011 3:36 am

I meant north facing, sorry!