Monstrose and variegated Opuntia cacti?

[Stillman]

I found this cacti at a small nursery and was given it for free as they don't really specialise in cacti and he thought it looked a bit sick, but I thought it was a pretty interesting specimen. the photo is not the best but it has quite alot of colour in it, and I think it has some monstrose characteristics.

[Stillman]

I guess it could be Opuntia monacantha monstrose or similiar. I've never seen one before but then again I may have never looked either. lol.

[poisonshroom]

I have one like that. Mine gets little pink buds all over it (not flower buds though). The buds almost replace where there would normally be spines and glochids. Im also interested to find out what it is - they look pretty cool

[Stillman]

this one has a couple of the little pink buds too I thought it may have been setting fruit or flowers but after looking up a few things on google I think its just its growth pattern. Do they eventually grow into off shoots or stay as foi-spines? I'm starting to get into variegated and monstrose cacti. Have been looking up Cultivar online mag, some of the hybrids and colours they have OS is amazing, its so alien.

[poisonshroom]

The little buds turn into pups, but so far they seem to stay small (maybe they are dropping off becuase mine hasnt got much bigger in the couple of months Iv had it). It might also be interesting to find out how the mutation happened - i saw a thread somewhere discussing some kind of virus that causes it and can be transmitted through grafting. If thats the case with this one it could be interesting to try some grafts on it and see what happens.

[Moses]

I guess it could be Opuntia monacantha monstrose or similiar. I've never seen one before but then again I may have never looked either. lol.

 

Opuntia monocantha variegata just got lots of young branches/pads.

Edited December 17, 2011 by Moses

[poisonshroom]

That looks exactly what I'v got but smaller. And I noticed some spines yesterday, but not quite as many as that picture indicates. Id say thats what we both have and they get more spiney as they get bigger.