Had this Cactus for about 40 years, given to me by an elderly lady who said
she could not get it to flower. The original large plant flowered a couple
of years ago whilst we were away (Sod's law!!) but now the offshoot is
flowering. Anyone with knowledge of cacti know what this is?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bobhobd...57626703667192


--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK

In message , Bob Hobden
writes
Had this Cactus for about 40 years, given to me by an elderly lady who
said she could not get it to flower. The original large plant flowered
a couple of years ago whilst we were away (Sod's law!!) but now the
offshoot is flowering. Anyone with knowledge of cacti know what this is?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bobhobd...57626703667192


Looks like a barrel cactus to me.
--
Gopher .... I know my place!

It's not one of the genera I grow. It would help to have a sideways-on view of the flower - are the sepals hairy or smooth? Or do they have prickles?

My first guess would be Lobivia/Echinopsis (which are now in the same genus)

But my main reason for replying is to congratulate you and the previous owner, 'cos it's in beautiful condition!

On 12/05/2011 13:34, Bob Hobden wrote:
Had this Cactus for about 40 years, given to me by an elderly lady who
said she could not get it to flower. The original large plant flowered a
couple of years ago whilst we were away (Sod's law!!) but now the
offshoot is flowering. Anyone with knowledge of cacti know what this is?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bobhobd...57626703667192




Not my area of expertise, Bob, but could it be a Rebutia?

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay

"kay" wrote


Bob Hobden Wrote:
Had this Cactus for about 40 years, given to me by an elderly lady who
said
she could not get it to flower. The original large plant flowered a
couple
of years ago whilst we were away (Sod's law!!) but now the offshoot is
flowering. Anyone with knowledge of cacti know what this is?

'Unknown Cactus - a set on Flickr' (http://tinyurl.com/3db3d4n)


It's not one of the genera I grow. It would help to have a sideways-on
view of the flower - are the sepals hairy or smooth? Or do they have
prickles?

My first guess would be Lobivia/Echinopsis (which are now in the same
genus)

But my main reason for replying is to congratulate you and the previous
owner, 'cos it's in beautiful condition!


Well thank you Kay, the offshoot I took off the large original plant when
repotting very many years ago. Basically they sit on the top shelf in our
greenhouse very close to the twin walled plastic roof and gets watered by
hose and occasionally fed in the summer and totally ignored in the winter. I
think the winter totally dry must do it good.

Having looked at the genus as much as I can I too think it must be a Lobivia
(syn. Echinopsis) but which one? Of those I've seen pictures of I've cut it
down to L. aguilarii; L. bruchii; L. formosa; or L tieguliana.

If the flower is still OK tomorrow I'll try to get a shot from the side
showing the flower stalk and perhaps a close up of the spines which are not
as long as a lot of Lobivia.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK

"Chris Hogg" wrote...

"Bob Hobden"wrote:

Had this Cactus for about 40 years, given to me by an elderly lady who
said
she could not get it to flower. The original large plant flowered a
couple
of years ago whilst we were away (Sod's law!!) but now the offshoot is
flowering. Anyone with knowledge of cacti know what this is?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bobhobd...57626703667192

Don't know much about cacti, but I have a quite a good little book, so
here's some guesswork:
Probably not a Mammillaria as it has no 'mammilla'.
Echinocactus flowers are generally yellow or pink, and deeply embedded
in the 'wool', top centre, so probably not that.
Possibly an Echinoceras but their flowers are usually large, yellow or
pink.
Possibly a Parodia.
Possibly a Notocactus (the RHS encyclo includes Notocactus in
Parodia).
Don't think it's a Rebutia, as they seem to have 'mammilla' a bit like
Mammillaria.
Very possibly a Lobivia. I think these are quite common and popular.
(Lobivias are named after Bolivia, would you believe!)
Echinopsis have long flowers on 'tubes' so probably not that.
Loads of other types ruled out on shape etc.

My best guess would be Lobivia formosa, but could also be L. jajoiana
or L. haematantha or L. pentlandii or L. cinnabarina. I wouldn't know
how to distinguish one from the other.

Or it could be a hybrid, of which there are lots AIUI, especially
between Trichocerus, Echinopsis and Lobivia.


I too am coming round to thinking it's a Lobivia, considering it's age is a
hybrid still a possibility?

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK

On 12/05/2011 20:10, Chris Hogg wrote:
On Thu, 12 May 2011 13:34:53 +0100, "Bob
wrote:

Had this Cactus for about 40 years, given to me by an elderly lady who said
she could not get it to flower. The original large plant flowered a couple
of years ago whilst we were away (Sod's law!!) but now the offshoot is
flowering. Anyone with knowledge of cacti know what this is?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bobhobd...57626703667192

Don't know much about cacti, but I have a quite a good little book, so
here's some guesswork:
Probably not a Mammillaria as it has no 'mammilla'.
Echinocactus flowers are generally yellow or pink, and deeply embedded
in the 'wool', top centre, so probably not that.
Possibly an Echinoceras but their flowers are usually large, yellow or
pink.
Possibly a Parodia.
Possibly a Notocactus (the RHS encyclo includes Notocactus in
Parodia).

Very few of them have red flowers.

Don't think it's a Rebutia, as they seem to have 'mammilla' a bit like
Mammillaria.
Very possibly a Lobivia. I think these are quite common and popular.
(Lobivias are named after Bolivia, would you believe!)
Echinopsis have long flowers on 'tubes' so probably not that.
Loads of other types ruled out on shape etc.

My best guess would be Lobivia formosa, but could also be L. jajoiana
or L. haematantha or L. pentlandii or L. cinnabarina. I wouldn't know
how to distinguish one from the other.

These days a lot of things are actually lumped into Echinopsis and many
Echinopsis hybrids even when an older name exists based on new genetic
evidence. Both names float around but it is worth searching on either.
It looks like a red flowered Lobivia to me - shot from the side showing
where the flower leaves the stem and the external structure of the
flower side on would be helpful.

Closest match I can see is for E. (lobivia) cinnabarina or crassicalis
but the colour isn't quite right. May well be a hybrid. eg

http://cactiguide.com/graphics/e_cinnabarina_d_600.jpg

The OP may find flicking though the following pages helpful:

http://cactiguide.com/cactus/?genus=Echinopsis

Or it could be a hybrid, of which there are lots AIUI, especially
between Trichocerus, Echinopsis and Lobivia.

There are lots of hybrids about.

Regards,
Martin Brown

"Spider" wrote

Bob Hobden wrote:
Had this Cactus for about 40 years, given to me by an elderly lady who
said she could not get it to flower. The original large plant flowered a
couple of years ago whilst we were away (Sod's law!!) but now the
offshoot is flowering. Anyone with knowledge of cacti know what this is?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bobhobd...57626703667192



Not my area of expertise, Bob, but could it be a Rebutia?

I always thought of Rebutia as small cacti and easily flowered, the old
original one is quite large. Those black pots behind them on the paving
slabs are 10 inch which gives you a better idea about size possibly, and at
twice in 40 years this is certainly not easily flowered. :-(

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK

Definitely not a Mammillaria - their tubercules are arranged in spirals. And deep in my memory something says the key field character for Mammillaria is that the flowers come from between the tubercules whereas in everything else they com from on them.

Echinocactus flowers tend to be smaller relative to the plant. Wrong body shape for Echinocereus

Not a Parodia that I recognise, though Parodia/Noto is the area I'd be looking at if it isn't a Lobivia/Echinopsis. Definitely not Rebutia.

If one of the other cactophiles hasn't appeared by tomorrow, I'll have a go at keying it out.

40 years ago takes us back to the 70s, which was when I was growing cacti with more enthusiasm. My memory of that time was that there were some large flowered hybrids of Echinopsis becoming available, and I think Epiphyllum hybrids, but not a lot else.

"Bob Hobden" wrote

Had this Cactus for about 40 years, given to me by an elderly lady who
said she could not get it to flower. The original large plant flowered a
couple of years ago whilst we were away (Sod's law!!) but now the offshoot
is flowering. Anyone with knowledge of cacti know what this is?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bobhobd...57626703667192


I've uploaded some more photos showing the flower from the side and the
hairs on the stalk.

Kay, do you grow epiphylums? I have a number of those too but at least I
know the names of most of those.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK

On 12/05/2011 23:06, Bob Hobden wrote:
"Spider" wrote

Bob Hobden wrote:
Had this Cactus for about 40 years, given to me by an elderly lady who
said she could not get it to flower. The original large plant
flowered a
couple of years ago whilst we were away (Sod's law!!) but now the
offshoot is flowering. Anyone with knowledge of cacti know what this
is?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bobhobd...57626703667192



Not my area of expertise, Bob, but could it be a Rebutia?

I always thought of Rebutia as small cacti and easily flowered, the old
original one is quite large. Those black pots behind them on the paving
slabs are 10 inch which gives you a better idea about size possibly, and
at twice in 40 years this is certainly not easily flowered. :-(


Wow! That's a huge cactus. Just goes to show how brilliant you are.
That really is a beautiful specimen! Definitely not Rebutia,then.

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay

"Spider" wrote
Wow! That's a huge cactus. Just goes to show how brilliant you are.
That really is a beautiful specimen! Definitely not Rebutia,then.

Thanks, seems to thrive on neglect especially in winter.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK

I posted a reply to this which hasn't appeared for me, so apologies if you've seen this twice.

No, I don't grow epiphyllums. I grow Mammillarias, but am not up to date with new introductions and taxonomic changes, and I look after gymnos, lobivias, sulcorebutias and various other oddments.

The close up pic of the flower - does the flower have a dark coloured centre, or is it just in shadow? The answer to this will narrow down the possibilities a bit.