Selenicereus ID help please

[zed240]

Hi All.

I've been looking for a selenicereus grandiflorus for a while. For a couple of reasons, I think they look unique and cool when they are a decent size and I've also read that some seedlings do very well when grafted to it.

I'm wondering if any more knowledgable people can narrow this one down to the subspecies? Hoping it may be grandiflorus but still curious nonetheless. I understand it may be diffcult or not possible to say exactly which sp it is but input is appreciated.

The guy who was nice enough to give me this cut said that it has never flowered for him.

It has 7 ribs, (if you can call them ribs...), quite bumpy areoles, spines (not glochids) and has arial roots already, this stem was up in the air growing along a piece of horizontal wire.

Thanks!

Edited July 25, 2014 by zed240

[Jox]

Hey zed, it looks like S. hamatus to me. This is also a very good stock plant when it come to grafting.

Cheers

Jox

[Halcyon Daze]

It may be Selenicereus macdonaldiae IMO, either that or S. harmatus like Jox said.

(I grow both).

Edited July 25, 2014 by Halcyon Daze

[hostilis]

I concure with S. hamatus. Been looking for it for a while. Luckily somebody is sending me some.

[zelly]

grandiflorus has primarily flat leaves that look very similar to most epi's & mature plants will put out a smooth stalk like stem that turns leafy. here's the grandiflorus flower

I'll take a buncha pics of the mama so you get a good idea what S.grandiflorus looks like

Another thing that separates grandiflorus from all the rest of the Selenicereus (that I have anyway), is the flowers will only open when its completely dark and close at or before dawn, never lasting any longer than that short nighttime period.

[zelly]

Selenicereus grandiflorus (as I know it to be)

Selenicereus pteranthus (squarish stems)

Selenicereus anthonyanus (zig zag, ric-rac cactus)

Selenicereus macdonaldae (as I know it to be)

[zed240]

Thanks for all the input guys, I really appreciate it!

I am thinking it is probably S. hamatus now. I did come across that one in my google searches but not being particularly familiar with selenicereus I don't think I had much chance of IDing it on my own.

And Zelly, Thanks for showing your grandiflorus. I didn't think/know that they had flat sections that look kind of epiphyllum-ish. Your plant looks quite different to the ones I've found online that are labelled as grandiflorus.

[zed240]

And just one more question if anyone feels like chiming in again.

Since I'd like to grow a nice large plant but also propogate some grafting stock with it do you think I should cut this ~40cm piece in two, or plant it as it is for now and let it grow a bit first?

[Dreamwalker.]

I didn't know Selenicereus grandiflorus could be flat like epi either....mine are sq.........

The consensus id is probably right....but the few I have are hard to tell the difference between...I have a Selenicereus pteranthus & selenicereus spinulosus

that also looks like yours.

Selenicereus grandiflorus grows really easy (the easiest) from seed & they would be able to x pollinate.

Edited July 26, 2014 by Dreamwalker

[Jox]

I would have to say Zelly's plant is not grandiflorus. Like Dreamwalker said grandiflorus are more square or round. I think the reason people often get confused with this name is because of there common name Queen of the night, people get a plant & get told the common name then look up & see grandiflorus & think that must be it with realizing there are quite a few plant with the same common name, there is Selenicereus, Cereus, Epipes that have the common name Queen of the night.

Cheers

Jox

Edit; I think zelly's first plant is actually Epiphyllum oxypetalum, known commonly as Queen of the night or Dutchman's pipe.

Edited July 26, 2014 by Jox

[zelly]

After making the post & then doing my own research, I too would totally agree with everything Jox has to say. the flower is a dead giveaway as not being the true Q of N.

[mutant]

well if mine is hamatus, which I think it is after looking about it these days, this is not it

it could be Selenicereus macdonaldiae , if so, Halcyon Daze got it first....

zed>>> I would cut either in 2 or in 3 or even 4 to propagate and all..

I also got some zig zag , but it never flowered for me.. all the flowers from zig zig selinis I have seen are awesome and reddish!

PS: S.pteranthus also goes 5 ribs! hamatus rarely goes 3 ribs and goes up to 6-7, usually 4-5

Edited July 29, 2014 by mutant