couple of mysteries

[strangebrew]

1)Peruvianus?

2)This next one clumps like T.spachianus but is wider.

9 ribs.

1 central spine generally, but have counted up to 3 in an inner circle formation - up to 4cm in length, getting stouter with age.

7-9 slightly uneven radials - 1-2cm in length. The spines are yellowish when younger but turn to brown/yellow stripes when older.

Areoles are 5mm long and 2.5cm apart.

[ 30. October 2004, 22:16: Message edited by: strangebrew ]

[gerbil]

#1 imo looks more like a bridgesii, though I am absolutely hopeless trying to ID cacti hehehe

beautiful plants you've got there!

[Rev]

man they are so nice

That first one - maybe its not even a trich

Kinda reminds me of a strange thing i have

dont know what it is but its meant to be rare

(Pic soon)

That second one is really nice too

wouldnt have a clue what it is

I wish i knew the history f that spot you found. Whoever pt it together must ve had pretty special access to this wierd seed/plants theuve put in

Im visiting a nice trich nursery soon (Nov) to pick up some more curiosities. I hope youll be keen on a swap later

[M S Smith]

That first one is definately a "T. Peruvianus KK242 (T. cuzcoensis?)". It certainly has the "KK242" features in spine color and pattern as well as the large areoles. The basal swelling on the spines of this plant is much more noticeable on older dried spines over young spines, especially if the areole hairs have fallen off with age as they seem to. All spines on Trichocereus are somewhat evenly tappered from the tip to the base, but once they dry up the "KK242" continues to have a rather swollen region right at the point it connects to the areole. I'll get some pictures with my micro-lens today to show the difference with the plant I consider T. macrogonus.

The second and third photos are of an interesting plant for sure, but I am not sure where it falls into the described species. Certainly it is a Trichocereus, but it throws me off a bit, as can so many plants these days. I'd lean towards it being T. macrogonus, but it lacks the glaucus nature. Nice plant!

~Michael~

[strangebrew]

Thankyou kindly,

The only description I could come up with for the 2nd was T.candicans, well at least that has 9-11 ribs! I know that it looks nothing like it and the plant was too tall, up to 1-1.5 metres?

It has little to no bitterness but it would make a fantastic X breeder for mucho active growth if you could get rid of the spines.

Here's a better photo -

[ 02. July 2005, 06:08: Message edited by: strangebrew ]

[faslimy]

I have the exact plant which no one could ID for me some time ago when I first posted it.

[M S Smith]

I was looking at the new growth and T. candicans did pass through my mind, but then the plant looked like it was too tall. How tall does this plant get? Doing a google image search of Trichocereus candicans and Echinopsis candicans gives a few pictures, but some are plain wrong while others may be more spiney variants of the species.

So how tall is it? What's the diameter of the mature columns?

~Michael~

[strangebrew]

Falimsy,

Yes it does look the same. What's the history behind your's? I've only had a couple of pup's so far and the ribs have no. btw 9-11, your's the same?

Michael,

Mine's been growing in a curved club shape, it doesn't grow straight, width 10cm at the club end.

Height on the mother could get to well over 1m and I am guessing the width maxed out around 12-13cm?

Oh, and the flower I had was in the 14-16cm range.

[ 28. June 2005, 15:11: Message edited by: strangebrew ]

[M S Smith]

Britton & Rose and Anderson's descriptions are severly wanting. Backeberg appears to be describing the same plant but with more detail, particularly on the height, something that isn't clear in the others.

Body: erect or upcurving, to 75 cm long, yellowish-green, forming colonies to 3 meters broad.

Branches: 8-12 cm diameter or more.

Ribs: 9-11, broad, low.

Areoles: large, white. (2-3 cm apart says B&R)

Radial spines: 10-12 to 4 cm long.

Central spines: mostly 4 recognizable as such, to 8 cm long.

All spines: fairly stoutly subulate to stoutly acicular, yellowish or horn-colored, spreading.

Flower: to 20 cm long, strongly perfumed, white. (15 cm says B&R)

Fruit: ellipsoid-spherical.

Anderson's descriptions are just repititions of either B&R or Backeberg.

Your plant sounds pretty much spot on for T. candicans in the way the columns are "curved club shape." Other features certainly match as well. There you go. I think we figured it out! Congradulations on your T. candicans.

Alkaloids according to Trout's "Cactus Chemistry" are:

Candicine

Hardenine

N-Methyltyramine

Tyramine

and "2 unidentified trace alkaloids."

~Michael~

[faslimy]

Does look like a good match for T. candicans - is T. pseudocandicans the same plant or a name for a different form?

The history of that plant is it was bought in a hardware type store labled as Trichocereus sp.

[ 29. June 2005, 00:46: Message edited by: faslimy ]

[Gunter]

It looks a lot like some grandiflorus hybrids I have seen.

[strangebrew]

B & R put the height at 6dm - that's decimetres right? So that's 60cm?

From memory I took the group photo just leaning over a little, that would make the tall branches 1.5-2 metres easy.

I'm also surprised that nothing turns up on the web since it is quite attractive and flower's profusely. You can see that the flower's are definately Trichocereus, some colour X'd in there would be really nice.

The local T.candicans in the Botanic Gardens is a case of blink and you'll miss it!