tonic Posted August 30, 2007 (edited) Was interested in what different species, varietas & hybrids people are growing in their collections from the genera Astrophytum. This genera has really piqued my interest lately and was wanting to see if people are growing them and what they have. In my collection so far I have: Astrophytum asterias [looks like a cultivar to me, but was sold to me as the type] Astrophytum asterias cv. Super Kabuto Astrophytum asterias var. nudum Astrophytum asterias X crassispinum Astrophytum capricorne Astrophytum capricorne X asterias Astrophytum capricorne var. crassispinum [crassispinoides?] Astrophytum capricorne var. crassispinum [crassispinoides?] AUREUM Astrophytum coahuilense Astrophytum myriostigma Astrophytum myriostigma var. columnulare Astrophytum myriostigma var. quadricostaum Astrophytum myriostigma var. nudum Astrophytum ornatum 3 different forms So yes I have a few, there is few I am still after icluding interesting hybrids, species, formas & varietas. I think I have most of the species though i think there is an Astrophytum senilis? Also I saw some pics of this really bizarre Astrophytum caput-medusae, which I am not sure if it is a species or a varietas etc. anyone heard of it? Or knows where to get them in Australia. Please post your list and pics if you have them. I will take some pics of mine soon and post them here over spring. Would be nice to set up a small Astrophytum spp. pollen ring for pollen exchange to further the Australian populations and maybe get some more nice hybrids happening. Edited October 25, 2007 by Phosphene_Dream Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
naja naja Posted August 30, 2007 Astrophytum myriostigma var potosinum Astrophytum capricorne, var unknown. Big plant gifted to me by friend. Superkabuto fly wing and spotted Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Evil Genius Posted August 30, 2007 Hi Phosphene, yeah i grow some Astros too but i dont have a list. Atm i´m trying to get an overview. You can grow the Astrophytum caput-medusae from seed. They are VERY Expensive! 4 Seeds are about 35$! I assume that they get cheaper in the future as some commercial grower have them in their greenhouses. bye Eg Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
prier Posted August 31, 2007 I have. myriostigma myriostigma HAKUUN myriostigma NUDUM capricorne capricorne NUDUM asterias NUDUM asterias x capricorne ornatum And I soo want to get one of those caput-medusae, I got to see one in the flesh a couple of days ago. They're amazing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KanJe Posted August 31, 2007 Hey guys, Yeah I also got to see a caput-medusae in the flesh as a graft, and yeah my jaw dropped. Its truly unique for an astrophytum. My collection consists of.... Astrophytum myriostigma Astrophytum myriostigma var. (quadricostaum' Does this mean 4 ribs, if so I have one) Astrophytum capricorne Astrophytum ornatum Astrophytum ornatum var. nudum Astrophytum capricorne X asterias Thats all I can tremember off the top of my head. I will post a full list soon with images. Anyone who thinks they have some cool Astros and they want to share, please post some images... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ace Posted August 31, 2007 (edited) KanJe - yes, 'quadricostatum' means 4 ribs, and 'tricostatum' means 3 ribs. There are other similar names for different rib counts too. That caput-medusae cultivar (or is it a subspecies?) is just amazing!! I had a look on google image search and couldnt believe my eyes when I say one! Certainly not anything like the other astros, but the flower is the same (from what I saw). Another one to add to my wish list! At the moment I only have a grafted A. myriostigma cv. HAKUUN. I used to have A. myriostigma v. nudum and A. capricorne but both were lost to rot (never had much trouble with rot except for astros and the occasional overwatered trich - a bit odd that). Astros are pretty rare in these parts, except for one big old myriostigma at a local nursery that I keep eying off (never have any $ when I have a look...), but a few of the speckles on the ribs have been scraped off by someone who must have brushed a pot against it (dammit). Hoping that there will be a couple nice specimens pop into the nurseries this season so I can expand my Astro collection Edited August 31, 2007 by Ace Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KanJe Posted August 31, 2007 I don't know if guys have been to this site but its easily the best cactus image database I have come accross...On the topic of Astrophytum have a look at all the different var. and spec. Something also weird is it categorises two separate genus as 'astrophytum' and 'astropytum'... Huh? Check it out guys... Cactaceae.NET Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mark80 Posted August 31, 2007 Am I the only one to post pictures? The one that is blown up is one of my favourite plants along with the little stenocactus. I love the curly spines as seen in the big picture Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tonic Posted September 3, 2007 (edited) Nice collection you have there Mark, you may recognise a couple of these in the pics? Which one is the Stenocactus BTW? Here is some pics of some of mine: 1. Astrophytum asterias & Astrophytum asterias var. nudum 2. Astrophytum capricorne var. crassispinum & Astrophytum capricorne var. crassispinum AUREUM 3. Astrophytum capricorne X asterias 4. Astrophytum ornatum 5. Astrophytum asterias X crassispinum 6. Astrophytum coahuilense, Astrophytum myriostigma var. nudum ,Astrophytum myriostigma var. columnulare & Astrophytum myriostigma var. quadricostaum Edited September 3, 2007 by Phosphene_Dream Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kadakuda Posted September 3, 2007 I honestly all the different names for forms confuse me to no end...so i wil say i have various A. asterias and some random hybrids...i do not wish to get addicted to this genus as it will no doubt cost me more than i can manage....so i tread lightly. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KanJe Posted September 4, 2007 I'm impressed Phosphene, I also have a capricorne X asterias but its no where near as mature as yours. #5 looks awesome, I havent managed to get my hands onto a crassispinum let alone a hybrid. Will be sure to post some images of my astrophytum as soon as I can get my hands onto the digi cam. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KanJe Posted September 4, 2007 Which one is the Stenocactus BTW? Sorry to double post, but I think its the cactus on the on the very bottom right on the first image... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tonic Posted September 4, 2007 Which one is the Stenocactus BTW?Sorry to double post, but I think its the cactus on the on the very bottom right on the first image... Yeah that's the one I thought he meant. Looks like an Echinofossulocactus sp. to me. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mark80 Posted September 4, 2007 Yeah that's the one I thought he meant. Looks like an sp. to me. stenocactus is a synoym (sp?) of Echinofossulocactus Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KanJe Posted September 4, 2007 Wel there you go... I just learnt something today... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tonic Posted September 4, 2007 (edited) It is? Never knew that. EDIT: So it is Mark Echinofossulocactus is the old taxon Stenocactus is the new, thanks for letting me know. I still like the clumsy old name better, but good to know what is actually correct. Edited September 4, 2007 by Phosphene_Dream Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
trucha Posted September 4, 2007 (edited) Check out the links page on www.cactusconservation.org Here is a nice little onzuka that a friend grew from seed Edited September 5, 2007 by trucha Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
trucha Posted September 10, 2007 A cool old myriostigma from Woody Minich's collection now for sale at the California Cactus Center Assorted superkabuto hybrids and some backcrosses of backcrosses done by someone I knew in Texas. You can see everything from miracle kabutos to coahuilense in the parents of some of these (lots of asterias obviously) but some are backcrossed to the point of it not being possible for me to label them correctly I think this is some sort of onzuka but it was not labeled. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KanJe Posted September 10, 2007 (edited) Check out the links page on www.cactusconservation.org. Its good to see people out there who are putting so much effort into conservation of Lophophora and Astrophytum. I find really inspiring actually. Oh and that Myriostigma is awesome!! I've never seen anything like it. I wouldn't even begin to ID those other Astros though. Thanks for your contribution Trucha... Edited September 10, 2007 by KanJe Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tonic Posted September 10, 2007 (edited) Thanks for those links trout, haven't had a chance to read through them all, but what I have read is very interesting. Very nice SUPERKABUTO X's you have there, have you been collecting Astrophytum sp. for long? Also that A. myrostigma is really amazing. Wonder how old it is to get that crazy branching prostrate habit? Truly amazing, hope mine looks like that in time. Good to see there are others in the community collecting these fantastic Mexican cacti. Edited September 19, 2007 by Phosphene_Dream Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
carlosis1also Posted September 10, 2007 Mark,beautiful collection.Do I spy a Strombocactus disciformis in first group top right pic ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nothinghead Posted September 10, 2007 Mark,beautiful collection.Do I spy a Strombocactus disciformis in first group top right pic ? Hmm I'll be interested to see if it is also, looks like a Strombo but the dark spines make me unsure. If it is, it's a nice old one! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mark80 Posted September 11, 2007 Hmm I'll be interested to see if it is also, looks like a Strombo but the dark spines make me unsure. If it is, it's a nice old one! actaully i think its a fralea spp I wish she was a strombo! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
trucha Posted September 17, 2007 (edited) The superkabutos were mostly crosses of a friend and were in his collection not mine. Using grafting of seedlings via Pereskiopsis and then a Stenocereus he could go from seed to flowers producing more seeds in about 2.5-3 years so built a decent collection fairly rapidly. (Starting under lights with heating mats then going into a greenhouse once they were on the Stenocereus) He used other stocks too but preferred that one when he could get it. He did collect older stuff of all sorts of species too for gene stock but really got hooked on the superkabutos. I love them and Astrophytums in general but don't grow any them as I got rid of almost anything that could not tolerate wet and cold before moving to California. "tricostata" was the only name on the tag. I think this came from seeds sourced via Cactus Heaven in Malta (I think this is maybe a different cactus heaven?) but it could have come from some other grower. I lacked photo capabilities for almost all of the times I had access to the collection over a period of around 8 years so can only offer some few images. I've never seen a myriostigma like that before. Lots of Woody Minich's plants they had for sale were living art. I think the same about the whole area around superkabutos as well. Its incredible what some of them look like. Edited September 17, 2007 by trucha Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pisgah Posted September 18, 2007 I'm really starting to fall in love with these plants as well. I have more seedlings on pereskiopsis from Koehres of various forms and species. They pup like crazy on pereskiopsis. I'll have to do some wedge grafts soon. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites