pachanoi rib # variation

[Guest reville]

I read in schultes and hoffmans' plants of the gods that there are different forms of T pachanoi in relation tio the rib numbers and that the 4 ribbed specimens were considered more powerful.Mine have at least 8 and i was wondering if anyone had ever come across one with less.I thought it might either be a recessive genetic trait or a growth anomaly like when saguaros' go turbulent/fanned at the top.any thoughts?

[earthalchemist]

i have pachanoi with 6 ribs ... or some young tricho hybrids with 10-12+

happiness

earthalchemist

[Guest reville]

tricho hybrids!!tell me more.the pachanois with 6, have they kept the same number of ribs as they grow or do they do that wierd shape shifting thing that lophophora does? i haven't had mine that long and im trying to bulk them up so none stay unmolested long enough for me to watch what happens with age.

[Ed Dunkel]

Personally my biggest T. pachanoi has got 7 ribs but I have seen a friends change from 7 to 8 ribs. Most of my little ones have 8 but a view have more or less than 8.

I think they just add or subtract ribs when they need to (i.e. growth conditions maybe, get fatter or thinner).

I have also heard of some 4 ribs changing to more ribs as they grow. I know its pretty common in other Cereus or Trichocereus species.

E D

[Torsten]

We had some 6 ribbed ones, but as soon as they were potted up and got more fertiliser and water they went to 7 and 8 ribs.

The four ribbed one is only revered as a special plant as the four ribs represent the four directions. No pharmacological difference has ever been noted.

As trichs hybridise they inherit some of each parents morphology. The scopolicolus could be the source of the four ribbing.