Help Identifying Cactus

[Ben Rush]

Hello all,

This is my first time posting to this group so I hope my question is
fine.

My wife and I acquired a fairly curious cactus about two or three
years ago and it has been getting more and more "curious" as time goes
on. It's strange to me as I've never seen anything like it. It's very,
very thin and keeps growing upwards as opposed to outwards. The thorns
on it are more like tiny little, hairy bristles. And every so often
from the base to the tip it seems to get a oddly placed 'bulge'. It
also appears to grow in sections (I think this may be typical of
cacti, but I'm not sure), with the spring section appear much brighter
in coloration than the older sections.

It's about a foot tall now (perhaps an inch over). I have a picture of
it here -

http://my.mindvision.com/~ben/general/cactus.jpg

If someone could lend me some assistance in identifying what in the
world this thing is it would be most appreciated. We live in Nebraska
and it was given to us by some people we knew at the time as a gift
(they spotted it growing in their garden area completely unannounced).

Thanks in advance,

Ben

[Moontanman]

>
>My wife and I acquired a fairly curious cactus about two or three
>years ago and it has been getting more and more "curious" as time goes
>on. It's strange to me as I've never seen anything like it. It's very,
>very thin and keeps growing upwards as opposed to outwards. The thorns
>on it are more like tiny little, hairy bristles. And every so often
>from the base to the tip it seems to get a oddly placed 'bulge'. It
>also appears to grow in sections (I think this may be typical of
>cacti, but I'm not sure), with the spring section appear much brighter
>in coloration than the older sections.
>
>It's about a foot tall now (perhaps an inch over). I have a picture of
>it here -
>
>http://my.mindvision.com/~ben/general/cactus.jpg
>
>If someone could lend me some assistance in identifying what in the
>world this thing is it would be most appreciated. We live in Nebraska
>and it was given to us by some people we knew at the time as a gift
>(they spotted it growing in their garden area completely unannounced).
>
>Thanks in advance,
>
I think it is almost certinly a species of Opuntia, possibly a hybrid or a
plant distrorted by light levels less than optimal. Possibly O. compressa,
Opuntias can vary greatly in form due to environmental conditions. I found a
specimen growing at the bottom of a pipe standing in an abandoned gas station
that looked like no other species i had ever seen but when given idea
conditions it turned out to be a species common to my area.

Moon
I breed dwarf crayfish for planted aquariums and grow trees in aquariums.
My groups

[Cereus-validus]

Your plant is an Opuntia showing abnormal etiolated growth from not
receiving enough light. Remove the scrawny new growth and move the plant to
a brighter location.


"Ben Rush" > wrote in message
om...
> Hello all,
>
> This is my first time posting to this group so I hope my question is
> fine.
>
> My wife and I acquired a fairly curious cactus about two or three
> years ago and it has been getting more and more "curious" as time goes
> on. It's strange to me as I've never seen anything like it. It's very,
> very thin and keeps growing upwards as opposed to outwards. The thorns
> on it are more like tiny little, hairy bristles. And every so often
> from the base to the tip it seems to get a oddly placed 'bulge'. It
> also appears to grow in sections (I think this may be typical of
> cacti, but I'm not sure), with the spring section appear much brighter
> in coloration than the older sections.
>
> It's about a foot tall now (perhaps an inch over). I have a picture of
> it here -
>
> http://my.mindvision.com/~ben/general/cactus.jpg
>
> If someone could lend me some assistance in identifying what in the
> world this thing is it would be most appreciated. We live in Nebraska
> and it was given to us by some people we knew at the time as a gift
> (they spotted it growing in their garden area completely unannounced).
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Ben

[Ben Rush]

Moon,

Thanks. After taking your guess and browsing the internet for pictures
of the species I think you're probably right.

Good eye.

Ben

(Moontanman) wrote in message >...
> >
> >My wife and I acquired a fairly curious cactus about two or three
> >years ago and it has been getting more and more "curious" as time goes
> >on. It's strange to me as I've never seen anything like it. It's very,
> >very thin and keeps growing upwards as opposed to outwards. The thorns
> >on it are more like tiny little, hairy bristles. And every so often
> >from the base to the tip it seems to get a oddly placed 'bulge'. It
> >also appears to grow in sections (I think this may be typical of
> >cacti, but I'm not sure), with the spring section appear much brighter
> >in coloration than the older sections.
> >
> >It's about a foot tall now (perhaps an inch over). I have a picture of
> >it here -
> >
> >http://my.mindvision.com/~ben/general/cactus.jpg
> >
> >If someone could lend me some assistance in identifying what in the
> >world this thing is it would be most appreciated. We live in Nebraska
> >and it was given to us by some people we knew at the time as a gift
> >(they spotted it growing in their garden area completely unannounced).
> >
> >Thanks in advance,
> >
> I think it is almost certinly a species of Opuntia, possibly a hybrid or a
> plant distrorted by light levels less than optimal. Possibly O. compressa,
> Opuntias can vary greatly in form due to environmental conditions. I found a
> specimen growing at the bottom of a pipe standing in an abandoned gas station
> that looked like no other species i had ever seen but when given idea
> conditions it turned out to be a species common to my area.
>
> Moon
> I breed dwarf crayfish for planted aquariums and grow trees in aquariums.
> My groups
>
>
>
>

[Cereus-validus]

Your experience with aquatics does not help at all for identifying
xerophytic plants, Moonbeam.

Opuntia compressa is an invalid name, often misapplied to Opuntia humifusa
but is actually a synonym of Opuntia ficus-indica. In any case, Opuntia
humifusa is a prostrate grower not upright.

Most certainly it is not a hybrid.

Cannot identify species unless it is properly grown and in flower.


"Moontanman" > wrote in message
...
> >
> >My wife and I acquired a fairly curious cactus about two or three
> >years ago and it has been getting more and more "curious" as time goes
> >on. It's strange to me as I've never seen anything like it. It's very,
> >very thin and keeps growing upwards as opposed to outwards. The thorns
> >on it are more like tiny little, hairy bristles. And every so often
> >from the base to the tip it seems to get a oddly placed 'bulge'. It
> >also appears to grow in sections (I think this may be typical of
> >cacti, but I'm not sure), with the spring section appear much brighter
> >in coloration than the older sections.
> >
> >It's about a foot tall now (perhaps an inch over). I have a picture of
> >it here -
> >
> >http://my.mindvision.com/~ben/general/cactus.jpg
> >
> >If someone could lend me some assistance in identifying what in the
> >world this thing is it would be most appreciated. We live in Nebraska
> >and it was given to us by some people we knew at the time as a gift
> >(they spotted it growing in their garden area completely unannounced).
> >
> >Thanks in advance,
> >
> I think it is almost certinly a species of Opuntia, possibly a hybrid or a
> plant distrorted by light levels less than optimal. Possibly O. compressa,
> Opuntias can vary greatly in form due to environmental conditions. I found
a
> specimen growing at the bottom of a pipe standing in an abandoned gas
station
> that looked like no other species i had ever seen but when given idea
> conditions it turned out to be a species common to my area.
>
> Moon
> I breed dwarf crayfish for planted aquariums and grow trees in aquariums.
> My groups
>
>
>
>
>

[Moontanman]

>
>Your experience with aquatics does not help at all for identifying
>xerophytic plants, Moonbeam.
>

Actually I have more experience with cactus than aquatics and as i told the
poster it would be difficult to really say what teh species is due to the
deformed growth from low light levels. My source may be out of date but the
catus is an opuntia. i just made a guess from the area it was found in. And a
prostrate grower will grow more upright if it is reaching for light. obviosly
you have litttle experince actually growing cactus.

Moonbeam
I breed dwarf crayfish for planted aquariums and grow trees in aquariums.
My groups

[Cereus-validus]

You are a real master troll, moonmad.

You lucked out guessing that it would still be an Opuntia even though many
species formerly placed in that genus are now inother genera. On the other
hand, you are completely ignorant about the actual species.

Ben never said it was being grown outdoors in Nebraska, only that he got it
from a friend as a gift.

I am very familiar with Opuntia humifusa. I grow several collections of the
species from different localities, including several I had collected from
the wild myself. There is no way the plant is Opuntia humifusa.

If I had to guess, I would say the plant is a badly etiolated Opuntia elata
but I would rather wait until it flowers. Note the dark blotch below the
areole typical for that species.

http://www.nmnh.si.edu/botart/1751.jpg


"Moontanman" > wrote in message
...
> >
> >Your experience with aquatics does not help at all for identifying
> >xerophytic plants, Moonbeam.
> >
>
> Actually I have more experience with cactus than aquatics and as i told
the
> poster it would be difficult to really say what teh species is due to the
> deformed growth from low light levels. My source may be out of date but
the
> catus is an opuntia. i just made a guess from the area it was found in.
And a
> prostrate grower will grow more upright if it is reaching for light.
obviosly
> you have litttle experince actually growing cactus.
>
> Moonbeam
> I breed dwarf crayfish for planted aquariums and grow trees in aquariums.
> My groups
>
>
>
>
>

[Moontanman]

>
>You are a real master troll, moonmad.

What ever you say, you must be the expert

>You lucked out guessing that it would still be an Opuntia even though many
>species formerly placed in that genus are now inother genera. On the other
>hand, you are completely ignorant about the actual species.

No luck involved, I do not claim to be a cactus expert but I used to grow a 16
by 32 greenhouse full of them. Most grown from seed many bought from dealers in
the western states. Oputias are usually rather obvious and I did say it was
deformed from being grown in low light levels.

>Ben never said it was being grown outdoors in Nebraska, only that he got it
>from a friend as a gift.

If you would go back you would find that the guy did say his friend who gave
him the cactus found it growing in his garden.

>I am very familiar with Opuntia humifusa. I grow several collections of the
>species from different localities, including several I had collected from
>the wild myself. There is no way the plant is Opuntia humifusa.

I didn't say it was Opuntia humifusa O. humifusa isn't even listed in my
source. Actually O. kiska-loro looks more like it but I would have to see the
real growth form to really hazard a guess. I think I said it might be O
compressa but that since it wasn't growing in it's true form it would be hard
to tell.

>If I had to guess, I would say the plant is a badly etiolated Opuntia elata
>but I would rather wait until it flowers. Note the dark blotch below the
>areole typical for that species.
>
You could very well be right, I was just assuming that since his friend found
it in his garden it was a more cold tolerant species. Why does it bother you I
might have a little bit of knowledge about cactus? Do you have a patent on
cactus knowledge. I'm old enough to have had many passions in my life and I
hope to have many more. When something interests me I find out as much as
possible about it.

Moon