Jump to content
The Corroboree
tonic

Astrophytum spp.

Recommended Posts

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 by Phosphene_Dream

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

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

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

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

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

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 by Ace

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

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

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 :)

post-1465-1188543135_thumb.jpg

post-1465-1188543275_thumb.jpg

post-1465-1188543135_thumb.jpg

post-1465-1188543275_thumb.jpg

post-1465-1188543135_thumb.jpg

post-1465-1188543275_thumb.jpg

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

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

post-3332-1188810357_thumb.jpg

2. Astrophytum capricorne var. crassispinum & Astrophytum capricorne var. crassispinum AUREUM

post-3332-1188810407_thumb.jpg

3. Astrophytum capricorne X asterias

post-3332-1188810454_thumb.jpg

4. Astrophytum ornatum

post-3332-1188810482_thumb.jpg

5. Astrophytum asterias X crassispinum

post-3332-1188810508_thumb.jpg

6. Astrophytum coahuilense, Astrophytum myriostigma var. nudum ,Astrophytum myriostigma var. columnulare & Astrophytum myriostigma var. quadricostaumpost-3332-1188810539_thumb.jpg

post-3332-1188810357_thumb.jpg

post-3332-1188810407_thumb.jpg

post-3332-1188810454_thumb.jpg

post-3332-1188810482_thumb.jpg

post-3332-1188810508_thumb.jpg

post-3332-1188810539_thumb.jpg

post-3332-1188810357_thumb.jpg

post-3332-1188810407_thumb.jpg

post-3332-1188810454_thumb.jpg

post-3332-1188810482_thumb.jpg

post-3332-1188810508_thumb.jpg

post-3332-1188810539_thumb.jpg

Edited by Phosphene_Dream

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

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

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. :rolleyes:

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

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
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
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

Wel there you go...

I just learnt something today... :scratchhead:

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

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 by Phosphene_Dream

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Check out the links page on www.cactusconservation.org

Here is a nice little onzuka that a friend grew from seed

post-900-1189003229_thumb.jpg

post-900-1189003229_thumb.jpg

post-900-1189003229_thumb.jpg

Edited by trucha

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

A cool old myriostigma from Woody Minich's collection now for sale at the California Cactus Center

post-900-1189401281_thumb.jpg

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

post-900-1189401462_thumb.jpg

post-900-1189401541_thumb.jpg

post-900-1189401624_thumb.jpg

post-900-1189401711_thumb.jpg

I think this is some sort of onzuka but it was not labeled.

post-900-1189401850_thumb.jpg

post-900-1189401281_thumb.jpg

post-900-1189401462_thumb.jpg

post-900-1189401541_thumb.jpg

post-900-1189401624_thumb.jpg

post-900-1189401711_thumb.jpg

post-900-1189401850_thumb.jpg

post-900-1189401281_thumb.jpg

post-900-1189401462_thumb.jpg

post-900-1189401541_thumb.jpg

post-900-1189401624_thumb.jpg

post-900-1189401711_thumb.jpg

post-900-1189401850_thumb.jpg

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

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... :lol:

Edited by KanJe

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

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 by Phosphene_Dream

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
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
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

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.

post-900-1190005678_thumb.jpg

"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.

post-900-1190005678_thumb.jpg

post-900-1190005678_thumb.jpg

Edited by trucha

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

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.

:)

post-873-1190142222_thumb.jpg

post-873-1190142357_thumb.jpg

post-873-1190142222_thumb.jpg

post-873-1190142357_thumb.jpg

post-873-1190142222_thumb.jpg

post-873-1190142357_thumb.jpg

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

×