Selenicereus ?

[Jox]

Came across this beautiful epiphytic cactus today & had a couple of questions, I'm pretty sure it a Selenicereus of some kind, can anyone tell me what kind, or how to key out this species? It is getting flower buds so this may help with a positive ID when they open, this raises my next question, do all Selenicereus spp flower at night like grandiflorus or some flower during the day? Last question, is Selenicereus a good stock for grafting?

Its growing in the branches of a big jacaranda.

You can see the flower buds in these photos.

Closer photos of the stem.

Any feedback would be appreciated

Cherrs

jox.

[Jox]

Went for a drive last night to see if any flowers had opened, no luck, still a week or two I'm thinking.

[zelly]

Possibly S. hamatus, another candidate would be Hylocereus calcaratus.

I think all of them flower at night, mine do. Sometimes if its overcast in the mornings the flowers remain open for a little while, but mostly they're a night time thing.

As for grafting stock, check with mutant, as he's posted pics of his various grafts using selenicereus as the root stock.

[GoOnThen]

It looks a bit like the one that mutant uses. Is it all the same plant just in the second last pic there are some other pieces that look different. They look more like Grandiflorus

If you are able to get any bits of the main plant I would be keen to get my hands on some. I have just realized that I have no where near enough grafting stock for what I have to graft this season and I am wanting to try some different stocks.

Cheers

Got

[Mr. Bowser]

Stem looks alot like S. Hamatus

[Jox]

Been doing a bit of reading & I think S. hamatus must be it, those hooks/nobs seem to be the best give away of ID, Thanks for the help .

I will keep an eye on it & try my best to snap some pics of it flowering to post here.

@GoOnThen, I'm pretty sure it all the one/same plant, there must be a couple of hundred kgs of it up there. I am going to have a chat to the owner in the next couple of days to see if I can get you & me some cuttings , I will let you know how I go.

I read today that they think Selenicereus hamatus originates from Mexico, but has never been positively identified in the wild .

Edited October 24, 2012 by Jox

[GoOnThen]

That would be great thanks Jox

Cheers

Got

[mutant]

"It looks a bit like the one that mutant uses." lol

yep it does , GOT got it

even the bud looks exactly like mine

it must be this and it rules as a grafting stock

[Jox]

Excellent!!

Thanks for letting us know mutant

[2Deep2Handle]

lol is that what you got the fruit off that we ate Jox? lol

[Jox]

No mate, This ones growing up in a tree, about 1km from were I got the yellow dragon fruit.

I'm not sure which genus the yellow dragon fruit falls under anymore? I think it was Selenicereus megalanthus & now there calling it Hylocereus megalanthus so it fits in with the red fruit? On that note can some one tell me if the red has spines on the fruit?

Also I will post some pics of the Selenicereus hamatus flowers soon, I went for a drive last night & the first one was opening but it was to high up for me to get a photo.

Edited November 11, 2012 by Jox

[Jox]

A flower still open today!

[Stillman]

Beautiful plant you don't have any bits to trade by any chance?

[Jox]

^^ Its not my plant mate, BUT , In the next week or two I will be collecting some cuttings for YOU , GOT , myself & I'll snavel some for 2DEEP as well.

I am getting a little collection of things here for you Stillman, I will have to pack up the car & make a trip up soon

[Stillman]

Sound awesome mate.

hey my wife's Selenicereus anthonyanus is in flower today we have a pretty big collection of the ornamental Epiphytic cacti.

Most of the planst are only small but.

I have the yellow dragon fruit Selenecereus spp. And have a heap of seedlings if your interested

Edited November 12, 2012 by Stillman

[hookahhead]

The branches (? not sure if that is what they would actually be called in cacti) are pretty cool on that one stillman. I really need to quit visiting sites like this, or else everything in my house will eventually be replaced with cacti. We all know cacti do not make for good seating however.

[mutant]

hey I got one like this - Selenicereus anthonyanus it is??? - , but its in pots with rootbound pereskiopsis, and selinicereus sp. I never saw it flower.

Awesome flower... I might try to get mine to flower now! inspiration...

[GoOnThen]

Hey Stillman is that a particular variety or do they all have the same flower.

I have one as well I think. Well it looks the same with the fish bone looking (leaves ? ) . Mine has never flowered ether but it isn't very big.

Cheers

Got

[Stillman]

Got I think there is variation on the flower but it should be pretty similar. The flower actually has a sent too smelt quite nice, which I thought was pretty cool.

[Halcyon Daze]

That's Awesome!

[Stillman]

Not sure if this is Selenicereus hybrid? We have a few different colours of these that my wife has collected from Markets etc.

[Jox]

Got cuttings for everyone today, will post them of tomorrow .

A few more photos

[Halcyon Daze]

Good stuff Jox. Some day you might drive past and find the entire tree and cactus had been wiped out by the new owner or whatever, and you will be so happy that you did what you did!

[Micromegas]

That's a really cool plant Jox, nice find. I saw these wild in central mexico, they love humidity and rain, they're beautiful. I'm pretty sure Jacarandas come from around that area of central america (Oaxaca) too, so it's a nice combo. I think the ones I saw were on alder. Mine just crawls along the ground, it's about 10ft long but it's not the best climate for them in SA to get up in a tree.

Here it is in situ (personal photo), you can see a single fruit. Amazing how the habit of the one you found is so true to form.

[Jox]

Nice photo Micromegas, & to think I was reading some were that they are sure S. hamatus comes from around Mexico/South America but haven't found it in the wild, well I guess that was an old paper or they have never met Micromegas, haha .

Also you were talking about what trees you find them in & this got me thinking/reading & what I found was Selenicereus spp love growing in deciduous tree like Jacarandas, & apparently this is the secret to getting the harder flowering species like grandiflorus to flower, dappled light through summer & a lot more sun through the winter. I am actually going to try growing this cactus in an orchid mix with a pH of about 5-6.

Here are some photos I got of a flower last night, I accidentally took this bud with a cutting two days ago & felt a bit bad, to my surprise it still opened. I can also now confirm the smell(perfume) this flower put out is sickly sweet, my whole house smelt beautiful from this one flower.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To give you an idea of size

 

 

 

 

 

[Ozbek]

Question for the recipients of cuttings from the S. hamatus sent by Jox: has is this plant flowered in your care?