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slashy

Unknown cactus with pink striped flowers

slashy
16 years ago

This cactus has been making me extremely happy for several weeks now with it's gorgeous blooms- still no idea what species it is, though.

Image link:

Comments (10)

  • paulzie32
    16 years ago

    Horse Crippler?
    Echinocactus texensis maybe? Someone else may be able to ID better... but look at some pics of them

  • slashy
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    That's it! Thank you! It looks far too pretty to be a 'horse crippler' but it does have pretty vicious spikes, so I can see where the name might've come from... When I bought it I was especially fond of the 'wavy' rib forms- beautiful.

    Meanwhile, how infuriating is it that retailers sell dozens of varieties of cacti & succulents labelled only "cactus- bright sun, minimal water" and similar? Until you ID it, no way of finding out what it's real optimal conditions are...

  • paulzie32
    16 years ago

    yeah... I know exactly what you mean! Generic tags don't help those of us that like to know more about what it is we're buying, other than "Cactus"! We KNOW THAT! There's also a difference between what they look like when young (how they're usually sold) and their mature look. Some I don't want but can't tell if what I'm looking at is just a baby of it or not.
    Oh well... Glad I could help

  • shrubs_n_bulbs
    16 years ago

    I think its a Stenocactus, also known as Echinofossulocactus.

  • paulzie32
    16 years ago

    Oooh! Very Good shrubs n bulbs. Your id is MUCH closer than mine... I wasn't even close! Thanks for the save...
    Sorry Slashy, That should help you narrow it down more.

  • miss_daisy
    16 years ago

    that is absolutely gorgeous !!! will you get seeds, if so would you share a few for postage ?

    miss daisy

  • slashy
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Sorry miss daisy, I know absolutely nothing about how to gather cactus seeds otherwise I'd be happy to share! I might attempt to gather some as an experiment but this is my first blooming cactus, so I'm still pretty clueless.
    However shrubs_and_bulbs seems to have given me a spot-on ID (the previous one had me convinced but google image search is showing me the exact shape of the 'wriggley' ribs and the right colour flowers for Stenocactus, so I guess that's it- hmm, stenocactus multicostatus in fact). Hopefully knowing what it is you can keep your eyes open for your own!
    I had no idea it would flower so beautifully until it did. I was just in it for the interesting shapes in the ribs.
    Thanks for the ID help, everyone!

    Here is a link that might be useful: Stenocactus multicostatus

  • miss_daisy
    16 years ago

    slashy.

    thank you for the name and for the webpage. I haven't ever had a cactus even close to being old enough to bloom so i woudn't know how to get the seeds, other than if you think of all annuals and pernnials, the seed pod will come up after the bloom has died and fell off, you want for the seed pod to ripen then collect if off and then open it to get the seeds. i might be right and i might not be but you could keep in mind my suggestion for collecting the seeds just in case. i'm sure you'll be getting lots of babies from the moma plant in the years to come. enjoy and congrats on having a cactus bloom.

    miss daisy

  • xerophyte NYC
    16 years ago

    miss daisy

    Haven't had any cactus old enough to bloom? There are probably 100's of varieties that will bloom before they are 2-3 yrs-old. Age is not nearly as important for blooming as are the right conditions for good growth.

  • john_p_marmaro
    16 years ago

    Hi! I quite agree with Slashy and Shrubs n Bulbs - Stenocactus multicostatus, possibly variety zacatecensis. The problem with Stenocactus (or Echinofossulocactus) is that the plants interbreed promiscuously, so that unless the plants are vegetatively propagated, or grown from wild-collected seed with collection numbers, the odds are they are hybrids, and hence hard to pin down. Alas, a large proportion of plants for sale are not pure species. But who cares when the plant is so lovely, eh?

    Happy growing!
    John