Strange Cacti

[Teotzlcoatl]

Epithelantha

I'm almost certain that some types of Epithelantha DO NOT flower, yet still somehow produce fruit.

Is this true? This has been on my mind for some time and I wanted to post it before I forgot.

I know they have small flowers, but I look at mine EVERY SINGLE DAY, I think some of them have such small flowers that they don't even emerge from within the spines or cactus body, they then self-pollinate and produce big bright fruit (I think?)

I know SOME Epithlantha have obvious flowers... but I believe that one type, does not!

Edited January 13, 2009 by Teotz'

[Hellonasty]

Hey Teotz'

All Epithelantha SP flower. I guess you could be tricked by their tiny flowers. Epithelantha have some of the smallest flowers of any cacti.

HN

[GingaNinja]

my Epithelantha micromeris and E. neomexicana have both flowered within the last week so yeah they do flower. And while being small they were both easily visible at flowering time. will try to get a photo

[Teotzlcoatl]

Anybody have a pic of Epithelantha flowering?

I think mine died

Edited January 13, 2009 by Teotz'

[Conan Troutman]

Anybody have a pic of Epithelantha flowering?

I think mine died

fruit without flowers??

[Teotzlcoatl]

Yes I swear to god I got fruit without flowers!!!!

I watched my cacti daily and this has happened more than once! I tell you it's true!!!

[DayLight]

ive had a lophophora flower, then set fruit, then set fruit again about a week later with no second flower. i was watching it every day, there was no way i missed a flower.

[kadakuda]

they can delay flowering, as in flower last year and prpduce fruit this year, for example.

Teo, many species have flowers that dont open, they just form and self pollinate and st fruit....i forget the proper name for this. frailea are good examples.

[M S Smith]

ive had a lophophora flower, then set fruit, then set fruit again about a week later with no second flower. i was watching it every day, there was no way i missed a flower.

DayLight, the likelihood is that neither of the two fruit bore any relationship to the flower you saw, but were from previous flowerings. I am not exactly sure of the time it takes for a seed pod to appear after fertilization on a Lophophora, but I was thinking it could be up to a month, but I certainly don't think it as short as a week. Maybe someone more familiar with growing Lophophora can chime in.

One thing people forget about Lophophora, and Epithalantha, seed pods is that they develop internally until the seed is ripe, that is why you can remove the seed pod immediately after it appears. This as opposed to many other cacti which have external fruit that you have to wait to ripen before plucking off the plant. I doubt someone can show me one of this external fruit that can go from pollination to ripened fruit in a week. All seed pods need time to grow and mature.

~Michael~

[kadakuda]

I am not exactly sure of the time it takes for a seed pod to appear after fertilization on a Lophophora, but I was thinking it could be up to a month, but I certainly don't think it as short as a week.

2+ weeks, seems longer for diffusa and the time it grows is WAY longer than williamsii. L. koehresii as well from what i have seen.

[Teotzlcoatl]

fruit without flowers??

Exactly! I'm telling you some types of Epithelantha have some sort of internal flower and are self fertile or SOMETHING!

I never saw a flower and I've gotten fruit 3 times. I only have on Epithelantha plant!

What's going on?!

When on of my Epithelantha died I cracked it open and noticed that the spines form a fairly large hole inside the cactus... plenty of room for a flower?