Disocactus flagriformis

[Kamos]

Just picked this one up today. I know it doesn't look like much, but hopefully in time it can be brought back to health. Any suggestions or tips? Ya, I know an epiphyte wouldn't have pebbles around it in habitat, but it looks cool!

DSC_0494.JPG (76.15 KiB) Viewed 1206 times

[MadridPeter]

Is it called flagriformis or flagelliformis? I think it has very nice pink flowers but also lethal small spines that make gloves essential especially when repotting...normally lives on top of trees I think..oh well that may not be so useful..the genus disco cactus varies a lot amazing

[DaveW]

Some of these plants can be both epiphytic (grow on other plants) and lithophytic (grow on rocks) in humid areas. They used to be called Aporocactus but were in recent times moved to Disocactus, though don't blend well with the original more Epiphyllum like Disocacti.

A. flagriformis is usually sunk into synonymy under A. flagelliformis, but it is hard to discover how different they originally were. I too have a plant labelled as A. flagriformis, but seeming authentic plants under names like A. flagriformis, A. conzattii and A. martianus (not A. mallisonii = Heliaporus smithii the hybrid) are hard to find.

http://cactus-epiphytes.eu/z_photo_80h.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Seemingly A. flagriformis has a red flower and A. flagelliformis has a pinker flower:-

http://www.flori-cultura.ro/aporocactus ... cactaceae/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Again how authentic plants labelled as A. martianus and A conzattii are It is hard to find out as none seem to be of known provenance and some may have been hybridised or mislabelled over the years:-

http://webcactus.ru/index.php?uid=1024" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The hybrid once called Aporocactus mallisonii = XHeliaporus smithii (not to be confused with A. martianus) is quite common :-

http://www.shootgardening.co.uk/plant/x ... us-smithii" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It is a shame when people don't take the precautions to keep botanical strains pure, setting seed that may have been open pollinated therefore random hybrids eventually get passed off as the true species. It's just as hard to find an authentic Schlumbergera (Zygocactus) truncata, having been hybridised so much in cultivation, though thankfully some are starting to be collected in habitat once again.

This was a cutting I obtained as A. flagriformis, but how authentic is open to question. It was said to come off a plant labelled such in an old collection in the UK.

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flagriformis2.jpg (34.89 KiB) Viewed 1183 times

[Kamos]

Thanks for the info Dave, nice to see such a small cutting with a bloom. My plant was covered in mealy bug's when I found it, but it was the only one the nursery had, so I sprayed it and removed as many as I could see. I'll just have to keep an eye on it.

[Carl_B]

Thanks for the info Dave, nice to see such a small cutting with a bloom. My plant was covered in mealy bug's when I found it, but it was the only one the nursery had, so I sprayed it and removed as many as I could see. I'll just have to keep an eye on it.

Mines like Mealybug catnip... especially the small cutting of the cristate form I have

[Kamos]

"Mealybug cat nip " What a great analogy Carl! Apparently some cacti are more tasty than others... at least to bugs.