I Can't Identify This Plant

[leisurely]

I hope that someone on the forum can identify my plant. I have no other plant in my collection that closely resembles this plant. I discovered it about three years ago as a very tiny seedling in the pot of another plant. I suspect that a seed was in the pot of the other plant that I purchased somewhere and it germinated in the pot. It seems to be a very fast grower because it now fills a four inch plastic pot.

[Shane]

Perhaps a Parodia of some kind?

[Atozbotanicals]

Perhaps a Parodia of some kind?

It does look like a Parodia to me as well. Also shares a stark resemblance to Coleocephalocereus.

[DaveW]

I was just thinking Coleocephalocereus or Buiningia too. But did not think they offsetted that freely unless the original growing point was damaged. However I see some on the Web that have. Again there would be no doubt if it flowered as the flowers are born on a lateral cephalium.

http://www.llifle.com/Encyclopedia/CACT ... ngia_aurea

http://www.cactusinhabitat.org/index.ph ... d=130&l=en

[Aloinopsis]

I have seen this same plant labeled as a Frailea cultivar/variety, but I don't remember which species. I remember only it because it looks like some Frailea seedlings, all disheveled and ugly (in my opinion, no disrespect meant, that's just the word I immediately thought of because all Frailea seedlings are like that), only as an adult.

For this entire clump to be in a four inch pot, that means the individual plants are rather small as well (as are all Fraileas) and to be fast growing that would also make sense, because individual Fraileas have short lifespans. Plus, Frailea seed are more likely to get spilled over into other pots being cleistogamous, since the grower won't see flowers and thus wouldn't even think to look for seeds. There are not that many true species but there are a ton of varieties and subspecies and cultivars: https://www.frailea.com/FIB_Names.htm

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a Frailea expert and I could be 100% wrong. It could easily be a Parodia like others have said, just throwing out Frailea because it's what I first remembered. Do we have any Frailea growers here?

[Atozbotanicals]

I have seen this same plant labeled as a Frailea cultivar/variety, but I don't remember which species. I remember only it because it looks like some Frailea seedlings, all disheveled and ugly (in my opinion, no disrespect meant, that's just the word I immediately thought of because all Frailea seedlings are like that), only as an adult.

For this entire clump to be in a four inch pot, that means the individual plants are rather small as well (as are all Fraileas) and to be fast growing that would also make sense, because individual Fraileas have short lifespans. Plus, Frailea seed are more likely to get spilled over into other pots being cleistogamous, since the grower won't see flowers and thus wouldn't even think to look for seeds. There are not that many true species but there are a ton of varieties and subspecies and cultivars: https://www.frailea.com/FIB_Names.htm

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a Frailea expert and I could be 100% wrong. It could easily be a Parodia like others have said, just throwing out Frailea because it's what I first remembered. Do we have any Frailea growers here?

I’ve never seen a Frailea with such defined ribs and long, robust spines.

[Aloinopsis]

I have only at plant shows. Even there though the label is not always correct.

[leisurely]

I am inclined to believe that the plant might be either Buiningia purpurea f. caespitosa or Buiningia brevicylindrica. Seeking other opions.

https://www.google.com/search?q=Buining ... i6TlXYpaEM:

[Dodi Russell]

It looks a lot like that one.

[DaveW]

Problem always identifying plants from pictures is sense of scale, hence the Frailea and Buiningia comments, two totally different sized plants. One newcomer is said to have identified their Rebutia as Echinocactus grusonii form a small illustration in a book having no sense of scale. Without a sense of scale it is easy to make mistakes.

Yes that does look like what one might almost describe as a semi-monstrose Buiningia. Whether it was found in habitat or is a cultivar found originally in a batch of seedlings it does not say,

http://www.llifle.com/Encyclopedia/CACT ... caespitosa

[leisurely]

I indicated that it was growing in a four inch plastic pot and that it was from a seed that germinated in another one of my potted plants. Perhaps I did not make myself very clear.

[DaveW]

Me that needs new computer glasses Jerry!