cactusjames

How old are these seedlings if you don't mind me asking? I have a couple hundred of a few different types of Tricho that look just a little younger than yours and are 2 and a half months old. *I find that grafting to pereskiopsis works best at around the 1-2 month mark bc of size issues(unless you have very large peres)*

That's what I thought for a while but when I compare pics of polaskia chichipe online to my plant it either has different spination, rib structure, coloring, or a mix of all three.

This is a cactus I bought about 3 months ago from a local nursery. The seller didn't know what kind of cacti it was and I haven't been able to find the answer on the web so far so I decided it was time to post a pic on here. I know the cacti to the left of it(in the same pot actually) is a Cereus peruvianus, but the other one I have no clue. To me it looks like some kind of Trich crossed with a C. peruvianus. It is very red near the top(including the spines), but seems to settle into a dark green the older the growth is. And the spines are very long. It's about 24 inches tall or so, but the part you can see in the pic is only about a foot. Any help is appreciated...thanks! -CJ-

It's difficult to tell because of the condition they are in but the largest one(the one with the pups on the side) looks like it could be williamsii. The others I can't tell. They look less like williamsii and more like fricii or koehresii to me. I'm guessing you have no idea what the flowers look like? You may have to wait until they flower to get a proper ID. And given the state they are in, I would make sure they don't feel squishy or have any pests crawling around on them. They could have been so cheap bc they were starting to rot. Good luck on the ID. -CJ-

Could be. It's kind of hard for me to say for sure without actually seeing it in person. The picture doesn't look like it's DEFINITELY rotting, but it could be just starting to rot and therefore isn't showing as many signs of it. But to me it sounds like it actually is starting to rot bc of how you say it's soft plus the pic of the rootstock that looks horrible. Better safe than sorry I guess??? -CJ-

Wow...if I had more experience with impale grafting I would definitely give this a try. Awesome work Peyofox! Would you say that using the 4 pereskiopsis together like that increases the growth/pupping rate as compared to just using one? And if so, how much faster do you think it is?

Are the wrinkles at the bottom(or any part of the Loph) squishy? If so, there is always the chance that it is starting to rot from the bottom up, which wouldn't be that surprising since it seems to me that the rootstock has seen better days and could be rotting as well. If you do suspect rot, I would definitely cut the Loph off of the stock at the lowest point where you still have completely healthy plant matter. And then you can choose to either root the remaining piece of cactus or re-graft it to another stock. If you don't suspect rot, and the wrinkled part is not squishy, it could be that your Loph is just choosing to grow that way, or that your cactus is dehydrated to some degree. And just because you know that the soil dries up quickly under the HPS lighting doesn't mean you need to water it every time it gets dry. A period of dryness in between watering's can help prevent rot and promote more natural looking growth. I have never heard of wrinkling being a sign of a Loph getting ready to pup, but i could have just not come across that info yet. Although with my Loph's I have never noticed any wrinkling before pupping. If anything it's been the opposite...the skin looks tight/stretched as the new pup(s) start to burst through the sides. If I were you I would just give it some more time if I wanted it to pup. It is grafted to produce faster growth which helps promote pupping, and it looks to be at about the right age/size where it should start pupping all on its own, with no cutting involved. -CJ-

I don't claim to be an expert on identifying different Loph species/subspecies but if I had to guess I would say that your Loph is either a L. fricii or a L. williamsii. The reason I can't decide is because I had a L. fricii in the past that had almost the exact same rib formation as the one in your pictures, but the flower reminds me more of an L. will. But I also noticed that it looks like this cacti was grafted(or degrafted) or possibly watered excessively(basically meaning it's been watered throughout it's life for optimal growth, which produces a more round, ball like, Loph...as compared to Loph's grown in habitat that are more flat and depressed on the top.). And a grafted Loph can often show different characteristics than a naturally grown Loph with the exact same genetics...so if this cacti is a grafted specimen, it could make it more difficult to properly ID it. That is partly why I though that L. williamsii is a possibility bc a grafted williamsii can develop more diffuse/different rib patterns, much like the one in your pics. ...And that's where the flower comes in. You can use the flower structure/color to help you get a positive ID. Unfortunately I am less knowledgeable about Loph flowers than other people. I'm more familiar with rib formation. But as I said, if this cacti has been grafted, or if it's even been watered more than necessary, the formationn of it's ribs, and possibly the flowers, can be affected. If I were you I would wait for someone with extensive knowledge on the differences in flower forms in the Lophophora genus to respond to your post/question. But I'm still willing to bet it's either fricii or williamsii. ***Oh, and please post better pics of the Loph if you can. Even if you can't get better quality images, a few pics from the side of the plant and other angles should help in the identification process..*** My best guess is that it's a grafted Lophophora williamsii. Good luck! -CJ- *And if I get a message again saying that my post can't be posted/approved until moderator looks at it, can that particular moderator PLEASE contact me personally to let me know why my posts never show up and why I keep getting a message saying that I need for my posts to be approved before being posted? I'd REALLY like to know why NONE of my posts have EVER been approved. It simply doesn't make sense. I've tried researching this issue to no avail. Thanks.*

Psychotria viridis Ephedra Khat Dandelion Acacia Raspberry Rosemary Euphorbia tirucalli Mint(mentha) Parsley

17 for me....Good luck everyone. I'd literally go crazy if I got some of these seeds. Already have my pereski just waiting to be used as rootstock... but no seeds

Does it include the rootstock that it is currently growing on? And is that rootstock a peruvianus?