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Cacti identification

Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2021 1:26 am
by Carpkel
Which books are you using to identify cacti?

Re: Cacti identification

Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2021 12:07 pm
by DaveW
Any that contain proper botanical descriptions and not just pictures. Usually the more technical ones which unfortunately tend to be more expensive than the "coffee table" type picture books. However for most popular cacti the "picture books" are adequate. The problem comes when species are visually similar and you need to check other features!

I thought people had stopped buying books though, even beginners ones on cultivation etc and were just relying on finding something similar looking on the Web?

Re: Cacti identification

Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2021 1:49 pm
by ohugal
Nothing beats flipping through pages of catalogues, encyclopedias, etc… Recently bought Anderson’s The cactus family. Although i wish it had a photograph of each variety… Still a fantastic book. Also have a smaller book by libor kunte i believe. Also very good. Dont like researching online, too many distractions.

Re: Cacti identification

Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2021 2:02 pm
by leland
For print books I have Lode's, Hunt's and Anderson's main volumes. All are quite pricey, even on the used market but they are the main resources. Since the first 2 authors have passed away, it is unlikely that they will be updated. Lode is concentrating on DNA research, so it is the most current and he is preparing a new print volume with descriptions, etc. I also have B and R's ancient set which can be quite affordable because it is so outdated but still has value for original descriptions and art work.

Cactaceae de Guatemala and others are available free online. Online, Tropicos.org is the go-to source in here Central America. but short on pictures and descriptions on many items. Since it is the product of a major organization, Missouri Botanical Garden, it should be active for the indefinite future. I went to a library in the capital once and studied Flora de Nicaragua, also by MOBOT, for a few hours. In many countries you can borrow books through your local library.

The future is probably online for the high cost/small readership of print materials. The catch is finding sites with proper scientific credentials and continuous or at least periodic updating.

Re: Cacti identification

Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2021 2:07 pm
by leland
Lately I have been frequenting Kew-- http://www.theplantlist.org/ and https://www.inaturalist.org/ fairly frequently.
The latter I take with a grain of salt because it is an pop publication with scientific overview so individual posts have to be scrutinized.

Re: Cacti identification

Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2021 7:55 pm
by Carpkel
leland wrote: Sun Sep 19, 2021 2:02 pm For print books I have Lode's, Hunt's and Anderson's main volumes. All are quite pricey, even on the used market but they are the main resources. Since the first 2 authors have passed away, it is unlikely that they will be updated. Lode is concentrating on DNA research, so it is the most current and he is preparing a new print volume with descriptions, etc. I also have B and R's ancient set which can be quite affordable because it is so outdated but still has value for original descriptions and art work.

Cactaceae de Guatemala and others are available free online. Online, Tropicos.org is the go-to source in here Central America. but short on pictures and descriptions on many items. Since it is the product of a major organization, Missouri Botanical Garden, it should be active for the indefinite future. I went to a library in the capital once and studied Flora de Nicaragua, also by MOBOT, for a few hours. In many countries you can borrow books through your local library.

The future is probably online for the high cost/small readership of print materials. The catch is finding sites with proper scientific credentials and continuous or at least periodic updating.

Re: Cacti identification

Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2021 8:10 pm
by Carpkel
leland wrote: Sun Sep 19, 2021 2:02 pm For print books I have Lode's, Hunt's and Anderson's main volumes.

I still prefer books over the internet and am looking for books that can help identify cacti that aren't found in the coffee table books.
I have purchased Anderson's main volume and like the in depth descriptions of cacti. Would you happen to know the first name of llode and hunt and the book title? I didn't have any luck looking on ebay.

Thanks everyone for the book recomendations.

Re: Cacti identification

Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2021 9:46 pm
by leland
New cactus lexicon seems to be out of print, both volumes. You might browse
https://exoticplantbooks.com/
https://exoticplantbooks.com/detail/?product_id=1036

Lode's site is http://cactus-aventures.com/Taxonomy_of ... e_ENG.html

Inter-library loan is always an option-- but be prepared to sign your life away and pay shipping. Specialty scientific books are pricey and often not replaceable.

Re: Cacti identification

Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2021 10:28 pm
by Carpkel
Thank you ieland. That will give me a starting point to find those books.

Re: Cacti identification

Posted: Sun Sep 26, 2021 6:59 pm
by DaveW
In addition to Ieland's list I have the now out of date 6 volumes of Backeberg's Kateen Lexicon (in German) which with the others I suppose are all the major works from modern times on the Cactaceae, that is apart from Ritter's 4 volume Kakteen in Sud America (German) which deals just with S. American cacti, again out of print but occasionally offered second-hand. There are of course books on individual genera like Craig's Mammillaria Handbook and Katterman's Eriosyce.

For many expensive books now out of print Cactus Pro is a good source where you can read online or print out, even just the pages you require. The flags indicate the language, but even books in other languages have pictures with the plant names in Latin being the universal language of plants.

http://www.cactuspro.com/biblio/en:accueil