IceCube Posted December 27, 2014 (edited) Hi guys, long time no action from me, but I have some interesting findings to report... Thanks to the generosity of some members about five years ago, I received some peres cuttings, which I planted in the ground at my parent's place in Central Queensland. Over the last 2 years, they have been flowering intermittently, but mostly in the months with long photoperiods, as was the same with mutant's babies when they flowered back in 2010. See below for pictures, but I believe that the species I have is P. diguetii as it has yellow flowers. Problem is, whenever I hand pollenate my baby, she makes fruits which do not contain any seeds. I cannot find the reference at the moment but apparently studies have been done which have determined that it is not self-fertile - which sucks as you can imagine how elated I was coming home to at least 5 fruits. Edit: P.S I also cut open some fruits when they were on the plant for several months and were split open to the max, so it's not a time thing. I am right in the middle of a huge crop of flowers so I will be trying to do the lime dust trick to overcome the rejection, but I believe that the embryo is aborted later in the development cycle (i.e when it is inside the fruit) so no trick, other than pollenating with another specimen will yield any results. Unfortunately, everyone in Australia probably has the same clone so it's going to prove difficult. As the 10+ flowers open over the next few days, I will be collecting pollen on q-tips for distribution if anybody has had the same thing happen to them, but I would really love a sample of P. spathulata (red flowers) as the flowering signal is graft-transmissible and therefore I should be able to make it flower by connecting the two. No idea what conditions cause the flowering, but our soil is terrible, very low pH and I never water her, but she has been left untouched and thrived into a several metre high/wide bush over 5 years, which means that they probably only flower in their second or third seasons as the plants are perennials. There are 8 species of peres so hopefully someone out there has a different one and can trade me for some flower-inducing cuttings/pollen PPS: I will try grafting a cactus from bunnings onto a flowering stem and see if it will induce flowering, this could be exciting, as the signal is so potent in other plants that even blended up flowering stems can be sprayed to induce it :D Edited December 27, 2014 by IceCube 10 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
IceCube Posted December 27, 2014 Just as an aside, here's a jealousy-inducing picture I found today 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Philocacti Posted December 28, 2014 Based on what I read, pereskiopsis rarely produce seeds, even if it does, the seeds are sterile. Never read that someone was successful in producing seeds. I know that Mitosis and mutant had their pereskiopsis flower before. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dreamwalker. Posted December 29, 2014 (edited) really interesting....I wonder if you might be able to x it with a Pereskia? if you can't obtain any pereskiopsis pollen.....Certainly worth getting some other sp of pereskiopsis established for next season if possible. and maybe freezing some pereskiopsis pollen. So do you reckon if pereskiopsis was grafted as a scion to a trich...the trich might induce the pereskiopsis to flower? Edited December 29, 2014 by Dreamwalker. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zelly Posted December 29, 2014 flowered for me last year, grown in a pot in full sun & basically neglected 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
IceCube Posted December 29, 2014 Got one test tube of q tips with pollen on them frozen and another with a dissected flower frozen. Now just need other samples, might try and get a spathulata Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
IceCube Posted December 29, 2014 And with regards to flowering, if the signal is similar enough, you graft in any combination and it may be able to induce flowering but tbh, I would just go for a controlled grow with extended photoperiod in future 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gr33ntea Posted December 30, 2014 Based on what I read, pereskiopsis rarely produce seeds, even if it does, the seeds are sterile. Never read that someone was successful in producing seeds. I know that Mitosis and mutant had their pereskiopsis flower before. My theory is that pereskiopsis is not self sterile and we can't cross pollinate because all our cuttings are from the same plant. The earliest mention of pereskiopsis sp. i have seen is by a shroomery user by the name Una around 10 years ago (http://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/2899325/fpart/1/vc/1) What i am thinking is that one person (Una) got some cuttings from a plant and distributed it to everyone in America and eventually it went to Europe and Australia. So maybe all our pereskiopsis are genetically identical which means cross pollinating inst possible, Where does pereskiopsis grow in the wild? 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
IceCube Posted December 30, 2014 (edited) Where does pereskiopsis grow in the wild? Completely agree re: them all being the same clone They are native to Mexico (http://www.cites.org/eng/cop/14/prop/E14-P25.pdf) - anyone know any cacti-heads in Mex? Here's a cool thread, his flower morphology is different and looks more like a perskia (in terms in the leaves - never seen one flower) http://forum.auscactiforum.net/t960-pereskiopsis Before I head home tomorrow I shall graft the two together to induce flowering and hopefully be able to cross-pollenate Here is a list of all the known species, along with detailed information, including pictures. I think I may have had a spathulata at some point, based on it's pointy leaves, but they also change shape with age so it's very difficult to tell Off topic: see attachment re: actives in it - not much though ;) peres pheneth.pdf peres pheneth.pdf peres pheneth.pdf Edited December 30, 2014 by IceCube 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Philocacti Posted December 30, 2014 My theory is that pereskiopsis is not self sterile and we can't cross pollinate because all our cuttings are from the same plant. The earliest mention of pereskiopsis sp. i have seen is by a shroomery user by the name Una around 10 years ago (http://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/2899325/fpart/1/vc/1) What i am thinking is that one person (Una) got some cuttings from a plant and distributed it to everyone in America and eventually it went to Europe and Australia. So maybe all our pereskiopsis are genetically identical which means cross pollinating inst possible, Where does pereskiopsis grow in the wild? Maybe you're theory is correct but I highly doubt it. Una is Dutch and his company was in Netherlands, I have no clue if it's still there or not. Well 10 years ago I got my first pereskiopsis cuttings from Germany and only last year I got a different cutting which might be from Thailand or probably Europe. Pereskiopsis never flowered for me before but maybe I can take a cutting from each one and let it grow un disturbed and try to cross pollinate them together. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hostilis Posted December 30, 2014 Everytime I've seen one flower it was the big round leaved clone. I don't think I even have that one. Never seen the other clones flower. I've got two different clones. I call one the "Hairy clone" and the other the "Bald clone" for obvious reasons. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sascacheuan Posted December 30, 2014 (edited) I have a "clone" of P. spathulata wich a friend brings from Mexico. He picked up in a botanical garden. He gave me long time ago this PS clone and other pereskiopsis specie but only spathulata survived. I can remember that the other specie had more woolly areoles than spathulata. Edited December 30, 2014 by sascacheuan 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
IceCube Posted December 31, 2014 Replying on my phone so sorry for short reply ...but are you two guys keen to send me a sample of your species so I can try the flower induction graft?? Let's get some diversity happening lads Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sascacheuan Posted December 31, 2014 After I read this thread, I start to feel the need of collect several pereskiopsis species and get other clones.... :S. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Huachu Ma Posted December 31, 2014 I have 2 or 3 species of pereskiopsis. First is the standard p. sparthulata. The second had longer leaves wooly areoles and no glochies. I buy it under the Name p. kellermannii. A Very interesting species. And p. porteri, but they look similar to sparthulata... i think is the same. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gr33ntea Posted January 1, 2015 The second had longer leaves wooly areoles and no glochies. I buy it under the Name p. kellermannii. A Very interesting species. For the love of god, if you have a glochidless pereskiopsis please distribute it to everyone else 6 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
teonanacatl Posted January 1, 2015 According to this site P. spathulata and P. diguetii are synonyms? http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl/record/kew-2413536 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Huachu Ma Posted January 1, 2015 For the love of god, if you have a glochidless pereskiopsis please distribute it to everyone elseIf you live in europe. No Problem. I buy it on eBay. When it gets older it got one big spine. But still more pleasant than sparthulata. I have to look for a picture. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gr33ntea Posted January 2, 2015 If you live in europe. No Problem. I buy it on eBay. When it gets older it got one big spine. But still more pleasant than sparthulata. I have to look for a picture. Can we see pictures? I am quite fond of pereskiopsis, they change their appearance drastically under different conditions. For me t5 fluro lights it becomes hairy. Full sun it becomes super spiky. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ghosty Posted January 2, 2015 some awesome photo's people =) thanks for this as i have grown that for a while but not yet seen it flowering.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Huachu Ma Posted January 2, 2015 Can we see pictures? I am quite fond of pereskiopsis, they change their appearance drastically under different conditions. For me t5 fluro lights it becomes hairy. Full sun it becomes super spiky. growing under same conditions left P.sparthulata, right P.kellermannii P.sparthulata P.kellermannii Greetings 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sascacheuan Posted January 2, 2015 Nice pics Huachuma. I have just found a guy who has the same specie of woolly areoles in a spanish forum about gardening. http://foro.infojardin.com/threads/esqueje-de-pereskiopsis.13477/ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hostilis Posted January 2, 2015 (edited) Huachuma, those are the same two clones I have. Although they both have glochids. "Bald clone" (small plant) "Hairy clone" It's good to know that it has a species name! Edited January 2, 2015 by hostilis 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gr33ntea Posted January 3, 2015 Damn i really want a hairy clone now Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sascacheuan Posted January 3, 2015 Huachuma, those are the same two clones I have. Although they both have glochids. "Bald clone" (small plant) P1070008.JPG P1070013.JPG "Hairy clone" P1070009.JPG P1070010.JPG It's good to know that it has a species name! I think you have two clones of hairy specie. Your "bald clone" are a bit "hairy", mine hasnt any hair. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites