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Trichocereus Golden Confusion - this is a very tall and fat spacanius-like plant of unknown ID, grows to 2 metres (6 foot) or more. Flowers are not quite fully open in this pic Echinopsis Paramount Orange (Paramount nurseries) Echinopsis Red Monster (forgotten origin - possibly a local NZ hybridizer) Echinopsis Spachanius Tall + Fat clumper - grows to 1 metre or more, 20cm diameter Trichocereus Pseudocandicans Echinopsis Sorceress (Schick)

Thanks for all the awesome feedback guys. It really encourages me I intend to do some more in the next few days, but it's dependent on the weather and flower opening schedules You might also like to check out my previous one, done a few years ago now: http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v441/evobit/Plants/?action=view&current=ScopFlower.mp4

Yep, that's the seed pod, and it comes out after the flower has dried up, not before. You're probably seeing the seed pod from the previous flower.

wouldn't use sand AT ALL!! No matter that it has no nutritional value, sand forms CAKES over time which hold water and inhibit root spread, especially when mixed with dirt. Sand is not a well draining medium, it is far too fine unless you get a really really coarse grade (like the type that hurts to walk on in bare feet), and even then use it only by itself, not combined with anything else that will help cake it together. Bear in mind that cacti roots seldom go down more than a foot - most of their roots are just below the surface. If I was building a raised bed for cact over clay i I would first plant something that will turn the clay into soil - I think potatoes and possibly other legumes do a good job ot breaking it up and turning it into a better quality soil. This would obviously take 6 months or more of prep.. Failing that, put down a 3" or more layer of free draining material such as scoria, river stones etc. The soil mix itself should be a 50/50 of pumice (5-10mm grade)( or perlite or similar material which won't break down), and a rich compost/manure/topsoil. Just my 2c. But for the love of plants stay away from sand unless you live on a beach an there's absolutely nothing else! *edit, just as an aside, if you have any local cacti/succulent nurseries with ground beds, doesn't hurt to ask them what they use in their mix.

Heya, do you have an ID for the cutting bottom left? Does it flower with huge white flowers with purple/pinky shells like this? I've been calling mine Spachanius based on a single similar pic found on the net: http://www.cactus-art.biz/schede/TRICHOCEREUS/Trichocereus_spachianus/Trichocereus_spachianus/Trichocereus_spachianus.htm

Thanks guys I hope you can look at the photos on a reasonable screen - they look good on my 24" HP screen, but I just realised on my HP Elitebook laptop they look freakin terrible.

Definitive test for taquimalensis/tacaquirensis - wet the spines and they should turn red :D

I agree with you to an extend EG. But along with the grey areas, I'd like to think that there exists for those species named by taxonomists a distinctive plant that we can all say 'yes that's species X' and when something's very similar it's also species X, however when something differs or only very loosly resembles, it's safe to say it's intermediary.

None of those plants look like what I've been calling Terscheckii

No worries :D The offer stands for the un-named helper

If by some chance you feel like refreshing the header image feel free to use any I have taken/posted - if you need me to remove a watermark just let me know

Thanks for the pics! I think I have a much better idea what this thing is now!!

They look like coro cacti pots to me. They're a nice squat shape too - very stable.

All looking nice and healthy! Great work :D

The local nursery has this as Chiloensis... what do the rest of you guys think? Note the curved spines...

That's garbage. Roots grow from the meristem and can come out of anywhere (base and sides), they don't come out from the areoles.

Hi Niggles. The layering effect and changing tones are what makes echinopsis flowers so awesome, and so collectable. Looks perfectly normal (and beautiful!) to me

Not really helpful, but I think I can tell you it's not Cereus caesius

Your 'euphobia' could be a Lophocereus schottii monstrose?

Peruvianus is not an actual cultivar, it is the generic name given to all unknown Cereus species. Plants this small are next to impossible to ID, a picture of the parent would be useful. Also bear in mind that monstrose plants can bear no resemblence at all to their regular siblings, making them 10x as difficult to ID.

I'm not expert in lophs, but that one looks more like an asteria than a loph to my untrained eye.

If you've asked nicely and they've been wankers about it, I'd be tempted to return the karma.

Hey all Thought you might like a tour around my backyard insanity. Warning: contains weeds (lots of weeds), non-perfect plants, and a provokes a sense of "what the f*ck" in most humans. Thankfully if you're reading this you're not 'most humans'. Also contains amatuer video work which will probably make you motion sick! http://vimeo.com/32728826

Wow!! Thanks for the positive feedback everyone To answer some questions - the 'boob' cactus at 205 is actually C.P.M melted-wax variant. At 052 that's a variegated penis plant. At 201 it's a variegated regular T.bridge - yes it came from mr faslimy Sure is a slow grower that one. When I got it it had a pup from the trimmed section, but the areole was surrounded by green. I cut the pup off and re-trimmed the base so a yellow surrounded areole was top-most - and what do you know a yellow pup emerged! Again, thanks for the feedback :)

Just sharing some photos of a unique plant I've not seen for sale since I found this one - hard to take photos which show the exact colour of the flowers - they are a deep red on the outside and purple-ish in the middle (ok i'm too lazy today to set a custom white balance). Measurements would be between 15 and 20cm across when fully open, so definitely not a delicate little flower! They are also very robust, having lasted over 48 hours when I took these pics: