Neochilenia x Strombocactus...???

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CoronaCactus
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Neochilenia x Strombocactus...???

Post by CoronaCactus »

My Strombocactus disciformis has been blooming for a few months now and when the first ones opened i was messing around and pollinated them with an L. williamsii. Got nothing, the flowers just dried up.

Last week i decided to try again, but this time with a Neochilenia setosiflora. Well, low and behold, it may have done something!

There were 4 flowers open, i only pollinated 2 of them. In the pic below, 2 of the 4 flowers have what appears to be the start of fruit :) The other 2 look just like the time i tried with the Loph. I have never seen Strombo fruit before, so i may be all gitty about nothing...

Has anybody ever seen or atempted this cross before?

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John C
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Post by John C »

Well, I sure hope it works out for you! I'm curious what the cross would look like.
John In Fort Worth, Texas
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daiv
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Post by daiv »

Darryl,
I think it is great that you are experimenting with all that stuff. You should keep a log of the different things you've tried.
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peterb
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Post by peterb »

Interesting! I doubt Neochilenia would cross with Strombocactus, as they seem very distantly related. Crosses are only possible between more closely related taxa. But stranger things have happened. What's more likely is the Neochilenia pollen tricked the Strombo into setting seed or it just selfed. I think Strombocactus is self fertile.

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CoronaCactus
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Post by CoronaCactus »

John,
Ya, will be interesting to see! (if it crossed)

Daiv,
I've stuck labels in the pots i've crossed.

Peter,
I thought the same thing...but the paint brush was right there, the flowers were open...eh, why not!
I've tried several times to help the Strombo along by swishing it's own pollen around but got nothing, so figured they were not self-fertile. But the Neo pollen might have triggered the Strombo pollen, so who knows... I'm just happy something happened :)
iann
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Post by iann »

Who knew these were just parts of the same species marooned on different continents :shock:
--ian
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CoronaCactus
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Post by CoronaCactus »

Well, as suspected, nothing ever came of it.
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