Dehiscent seedpod on crested cactus

[cactuspic]

Crests are mutants in the plant world. Instead of growing from a single point, which produces the rounded forms of cacti, the growing point has spread into a line and the resulting growth fans out like a rooster's comb.
Crests rarely flower. Seed production is rarer still.

Gymnocalycium damsii crest with crested flower


Gymnocalycium damsii crest with seedpod


Gymnocalycium damsii crest with seedpod closeup



Irwin

[Bruce Williams]

An interesting post and some very nice photos too.

I have seen plenty of crested cacti including a few gymnos but I've never actually seen a crested flower before. I would imagine that this set of photos constitue an important visual record of this fairly rare occurence.

Are you planning to sow the seeds from this flower?

Bruce

[beetleman]

Thats a triple rare cactus Irwin. Great photo also.

[DaveW]

I have seen crests in flower before and also crested flowers on occasion, though, like other succulents, I do not grow them myself. I can't recall however ever seeing a monstrose cactus in flower, can either of you?

DaveW

[cactuspic]

I have seen crests in flower before and also crested flowers on occasion, though, like other succulents, I do not grow them myself. I can't recall however ever seeing a monstrose cactus in flower, can either of you?

DaveW

Hi Dave,

While monstrose cactus do indeed flower, they are known to exhibit flagging interest.

Cereus peruvanus monstrose



Best regards

[cactuspic]

Thank you Ken and Doug.

[DaveW]

Thanks Irwin,

That is the first one I can recall seeing.

DaveW

[svalley]

Nice shots, Irwin. Good DOF and the dark backgrounds work well.

[MacroLuv]

Nice images Irwin.
Are crested forms difficult to grow? I ask because I saw many of them not growing on their own roots.

[DaveW]

Depends Nikola,
Some crests can be more "touchy" than others. One of the reasons for grafting is to get them to grow quicker, also a larger crest can be cut into small parts and pieces grafted that may not root very easily so small. Most crests, being abnormal growths, need to be vegetatively propagated.

With grafting you can get two to four years growth in one. We can often graft cactus seedlings the size of match heads on a suitable stock. In fact you are probably familiar with the red Gymnocalycium "Hibotan" originally from Japan that looks like a red or yellow lollipop on a stick? This was a chlorophyll deficient seedling that was grafted at a few days old otherwise it would have died because it could not produce chlorophyll. It relies on the photosynthesis of the stocks chlorophyll to keep it growing.

DaveW

[MacroLuv]

Thanks for information Dave. So it's logical to graft them on the strong and fast growing base. Like Trichocereus maybe?

[DaveW]

Depends on the plant. A lot of seedling grafts are started on Pereskiopsis and later grafted on to Myrtillocactus or similar fast growing stocks in Japan. The trouble is Myrtillocactus can be a bit tender and does not like cold in our winters, so in the UK we tend to prefer the Trichocerei and even Echinopsis can be used (Trichocereus and Lobivia have now been sunk under Echinopsis in the latest revisions, the oldest name available on their merger)

DaveW

[cactuspic]

Thanks Nikola and Steve.

Nikola, curiously, this plant is growing vigorously on its own roots.

Irwin