ID Confusion, Help Appreciated!

If you have a cactus plant and need help identifying it, this is the place to post it.
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Teaspoons
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Location: Houston, Texas (zone 9a)

ID Confusion, Help Appreciated!

Post by Teaspoons »

So, I recently purchased a cactus from a local nursery. While it had a name plate (Weberbaurii montoniana), I can't seem to find any information on the species, and am wondering if it's perhaps mislabeled or if I'm just too new at this to figure out where to look. Hopefully this is the right part of the forum for this!

Here are some pictures to help, Including the nursury's label:
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It is about 4ft tall, and the columns average around 11 inches around each.

Any other aliases this cactus might go by, or a positive ID, or really any info at all is appreciated. I'm still new to this, but want to do my best to keep my plants as happy, and healthy as possible! Thank you to anyone looking into this!
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ElieEstephane
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Re: ID Confusion, Help Appreciated!

Post by ElieEstephane »

When i first looked i was sure it was some sort of hybrid. .so maybe this? Cleistocactus x Weberocereus. I wouldn't consider it a credible source though.
https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/Cacti-Cleistoc ... cvip-panel
Looks like yours was crested at some point. It need stronger light to regain the fat shape like the bottom of the stems
Edit: did it ever flower?
There are more cacti in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
One of the few cactus lovers in Lebanon (zone 11a) :mrgreen:
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Teaspoons
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Location: Houston, Texas (zone 9a)

Re: ID Confusion, Help Appreciated!

Post by Teaspoons »

@elieestephane

Yeah, just from my newbie searching on the parent site, I thought the same about Weberocereus, or possibly Weberbauerocereus (which it kinda does resemble). I think you may be onto something with the link though!

I honestly picked this specimen because I liked the shape of the crested part! I will be bringing it off the porch soon, and into the sun, it's just very very heavy, haha! Also, no it hasn't flowered, at least to my knowledge- as I just got it about a week or so ago. Thank you so much for your reply!~
Saguaro123
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Re: ID Confusion, Help Appreciated!

Post by Saguaro123 »

It looks a lot like a plant I have labeled Cleistocactus brookeae. Yes, this could either be a Weberbauerocereus or Cleistocactus, not Weberocereus.
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Teaspoons
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Re: ID Confusion, Help Appreciated!

Post by Teaspoons »

@Suguaro123

Oh, neat! I feel like pictures of Cleistocactus brookeae are close, but the spines seem much more yellow. I'm not sure if that's an important identification feature here? Maybe it points to a hybrid? Anyway, I'd be happy to take more pictures if there are any identifying features that would make it easier- I have a macro camera lens if close ups help too! Thanks for the reply!
Saguaro123
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Re: ID Confusion, Help Appreciated!

Post by Saguaro123 »

@Teaspoons, Cleistocactus brookeae is very variable. I've seen pictures of it with white or grey spines.

In the end, I don't think yours is C. brookeae because the stems are too wide and the habit is not shrubby. I think yours is a Weberbauerocereus of some sort, probably W. johnsonii or W. winterianus.
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Teaspoons
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Re: ID Confusion, Help Appreciated!

Post by Teaspoons »

@Saguaro123

Ah, I see, I thought maybe that was the case, but the google results must have been skewed. I feel like a dork for being proud of picking Weberbauerocereus out of the lineup when I was searching as well. I'm trying hard to learn how to ID my own guys! I appreciate your reply- thank you again!
DaveW
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Re: ID Confusion, Help Appreciated!

Post by DaveW »

Looks like it is probably a Weberbauerocereus to me. The epidermis on Weberbauerocereus close up has a peculiar "granular" texture I have not noticed on other cacti. Montoniana is obviously a misread of a badly written old label.

There were a lot of Weberbauerocereus introduced by Friedrich Ritter through his sisters seed firm, Frau Winter's in Germany in the 1960's, but are not so common these days.

http://cactiguide.com/cactus/?genus=weberbauerocereus

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Weber ... 4197281884

It is not crested, it has just branched dichotomously. Dichotomous stems are common in some Mammillaria's, but not so common in the rest of the Cactaceae, though not unknown. I have one head on a Pseudolobivia that has branched dichotomously.
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Teaspoons
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Re: ID Confusion, Help Appreciated!

Post by Teaspoons »

@DaveW

Yeah, it definitely has that strange texture to the epidermis texture that I noticed right away. So Weberbauerocereus it is! That history is fascinating! Now I really want to learn more about it!

Also, the dichotomous stem thing makes sense since it looks like a crest that didn't make it all the way across, and split in two. Thank you so much for the reply!
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