ID please 🙂

If you have a cactus plant and need help identifying it, this is the place to post it.
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Bat 'n' Ball
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Joined: Sat Apr 07, 2018 10:33 am
Location: England, UK.

ID please 🙂

Post by Bat 'n' Ball »

Hello,

(Short version…)
This cactus is at least 5 years old. It’s only about 5.5cm across and 3.5cm tall. It has flowered every year with a single white flower which lasts maybe a week or two.

(Long version…)
I’ve had this cactus for just over 5 years. It was bought as a present for me from a garden centre and it originally came in a large terracotta bowl, together with about 5 other different varieties of cacti. After 5 years they were all a bit overcrowded, so about 5 months ago I decided to repot many of them.

To say it’s at least 5 years old, it hasn’t grown very much and still remains small, but it flowers every year for maybe a week or two with a single white flower. It is the same cactus which I have as my profile picture.

After repotting it into a small terracotta pot, I thought that it may not flower this year, but as you might be able to see, a small bud has appeared in the middle.

The cactus is slightly concave on the top, with a dip in the middle. It has slightly curved spines.

Pic 1 was taken July 2019 and the others just a few days ago.

I have looked on the list to see if I can ID the plant myself, but to my untrained eye, I can see many which look similar:
66, 252, 261, 327, 329, 354, 400, 429.

Can anyone help? 🙂
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-- Paul.
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greenknight
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Re: ID please 🙂

Post by greenknight »

Gymnocalycium for sure, maybe G. mesopotamicum.
Spence :mrgreen:
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Tom in Tucson
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Re: ID please 🙂

Post by Tom in Tucson »

greenknight wrote: Tue Aug 30, 2022 8:26 pm Gymnocalycium for sure, maybe G. mesopotamicum.
Agree
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Bat 'n' Ball
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Re: ID please 🙂

Post by Bat 'n' Ball »

That's great! It certainly looks like the ones on this page: http://www.llifle.com/Encyclopedia/CACT ... opotamicum.
Although the petals on mine look slightly more 'torn'. Not sure what would cause that.

Thanks Spence [edit] & Tom 👍
-- Paul.
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greenknight
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Re: ID please 🙂

Post by greenknight »

The only think that puzzled me was the fact that it hadn't formed a clump after so long, G. mesopotamicum usually offsets freely in cultivation. Looking again, I realized that there are offsets beginning to grow, only visible in the second picture. Apparently it didn't begin to produce them until it was potted individually... interesting. I guess it was really cramped in the combined planting. Probably will have more flowers now, too.
Spence :mrgreen:
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Bat 'n' Ball
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Re: ID please 🙂

Post by Bat 'n' Ball »

Well spotted!

Until you mentioned it, I didn't think to look, but on closer inspection, I counted a total of 9 offsets!! I may remove the stones to give it more room.

I can see some aerial roots in pic 4. Is this normal or is this perhaps a sign of under watering?

Thanks for the extra info 🙂

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-- Paul.
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jerrytheplater
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Re: ID please 🙂

Post by jerrytheplater »

The offsets are putting out their own roots. Totally normal.
Jerry Smith
Bloomingdale, NJ
45 inches (114 cm) rain equivalent per year, approx. evenly spread per month
2012 USDA Hardiness Zone 6b: -5F to OF (-20C to -18C) min.
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Bat 'n' Ball
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Re: ID please 🙂

Post by Bat 'n' Ball »

Thanks, Jerry.
-- Paul.
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