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August 8, 2008
Cereus
Not Tricho,
just plain Cereus. |
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Trichocereus Bridgesii
20 years ago Cactus Kate tried to interest me in some Bridgesii, but
I had so much going with the San Pedro that I passed on her offer.
After she died I found a nearly dead cactus under a bench. The long
3-4 splayed out spines looked like a Bridgesii. I figured someone
had stolen the planter, then trashed the specimen. It looked like a
dead bush of bridgesii. Since cuttings can live for a year or more I
took it home on the hope of nursing it back to health if possible.
That dehydrated bush was a challenge. At first it rotted, so I cut
off the branches to root them separately, then re-cut the rooted
base, let it dry and tried again. It took a year but finally it came
back from the land beyond this one.
Now that dead Bridgesii is a marvelous plant, a favorite source of
cuttings. One that always makes me think of Kate, the way she smiled
so many years ago. Her love of plants.Good stuff never dies.
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Trichocereus Bridgesii v monstrose
Cacti can be normal, crested, or monstrose.
This is a Bridgesii in the monstrose (like monster) form. Some
humanoids call it a penis plant but that could be wishful thinking.
Again, I found this in Cactus Kate's ghost town as a dying stump.
Nursed it back to life and now it is happy in its' weirdness.
I'm not moved by crested or monstrose forms; they strike me as just
sad mutants. |
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Trichocereus Peruvianus X San Pedro hybrid
Short spined KK242 lost DNA, or just a common Hybrid? Some crackpot
was selling tiny tips of this variety so small they were weighed in
grams. People apparently fell for the story line about this being a
short spined KK242 that has somehow become "lost DNA" (and only you
can save it).The truth? I bought this on eBay back in 2003. A
seller, no longer around, had raised a bunch of them from seed. They
were described as Peruvianus X San Pedro. The seed was available
from the big German cactus supplier until about 2006. I have not
seen the seed offered recently.
An acquaintance in New Mexico had purchased one, liked it, and
recommended that I get one. It was $20, the size of a hot dog bun,
had good roots, was healthy. Since 2004 I've been propagating it as
fast as I can by cuttings so I can offer specimens to my customers. |
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Hybrid...What?
I have little or no interest in hybrid cactus. The reason is
fundamental; if this is a cross between Peruvianus and San Pedro
then where are the parents? What are they like?What
Peruvianus? What San Pedro? Silence. All one can do is take
the word of the seed seller, and wonder where the parents came from,
what they were like.
For example—
Someone has a hybrid dog for sale.
He tells you it is a cross between a Labrador and a Collie.
Your
first response is to see the parents and their respective lineage.
But there are no photos, no documentation, and the person selling
the puppy never saw the lab or the collie.
So its a mutt with "a story." If you're into pure breds you won't
want it. But if you're into mutts then go for it. |
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It's a bird! No!
It's a plane! No!
It's lost DNA!
No...just a hybrid...I hope this photo says all there is to
say about this variety. It's a cross between a couple of
Trichocereus, one of which was probably a San Pedro.
It is not magic, is not a KK242, and it certainly does not
have a collection site number for the source plant.
I love it as an orphan cactus child. It has a cool, tough
guy attitude in its growing habit. It has become one of my
cactus friends, allowing me to sell a few extra ones every
year.
We love you hybrid. You're a little different but aren't
we all?
Larger photo...
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Trichocereus Peruvianus, Britton & Rose (KK242)
I first thought this was a Glaucus because the photo is so blue.
Here is a definite KK242 below. |
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Trichocereus Peruvianus, Britton & Rose (KK242) |
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Trichocereus Glaucus
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Peruvian Torch
There are numerous variations of the Trichocereus Peruvianus.
Subspecies have evolved in Peru's mountain valleys for centuries. In
appearance they
range from green-gray skin to shades of blue, and from short spines to long ones. Spine
color goes
from golden at emergence to brown or white.
| (right) Here is one on the
extreme end of long spines. Some people insist on being
"experts" by naming these when they are small after the
Karel Knize collection site numbers, even though everyone
knows he is unreliable (my personal experience, too). I
simply group all the young ones that look like the example
at left, regardless of how long the spines are, under
the generic name Peruvian Torch. |
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Click for larger size... |
I call the known ones by their names, such as Bridgesii, KK242,
Glaucus, etc. Those are easy. The really important thing is to grow
them to mature size in ideal conditions--which takes years--before
bestowing a specific name. As flower pot size plants naming is
tricky. Believe me, you have to get a mature specimen to see what
it really is.
The name "Peruvian Torch" is fitting because they display a burst of golden spines from the tip
that look, when back lit in profile, like a candle flame—thus the
name torch.
(left)
This photo does not show the torch effect in a convincing way. I'll
have to photo one that does. For now look below at the Spachianus
tip below.
Those are often common named "Golden torch". See why? |
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Trichocereus Spachianus
A wonderful young lady named Heidi gave me my first one. She came
home for the summer after graduating from college with a degree in
horticulture. Her parents had sold the family house without
bothering to tell her so they could retire in rural California. She
was miffed at having to take her stuff suddenly as the house sold.
So she gifted me a Spachianus about 3 feet tall. Thanks Heidi!
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Trichocereus Spachianus
Nice black hair you got there. |
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Trichocereus Pachanoi, AKA San Pedro
Here is a nicely rooted 2008 cutting (new plant). The fresh green top growth is
a result of its root system kicking in.
I knew an Asian guy who pronounced it "Pa-CHAN-oi" like the guy who
named it was an Asian named Chan.
I say "PACK-noi", others say "PACK-ah-noi".Aaaah...potato/pa-tot-o,
tomato/tom-AHH-toe... |
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Trichocereus Pachanoi, AKA San Pedro
Here is another newly rooted cutting (now a new plant). |
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Trichocereus Pachanoi, AKA San Pedro
Here is another newly rooted cutting (now a new plant). |
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Trichocereus Peruvianus v "Fastest"
(unidentified)
This is my monster. Norm gave me a single column section cutting
in 2004 that sprouted 3-tips. And they have been tripling,
quadrupling every year since.
Spine length is short in shade, longer in full sun. Very vigorous,
fat habit.
More...
What is it? Where did it come from? Ah, these are the mysteries
of the world. |
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Trichocereus v ?... not sure what it is
This was another stray rescued from the ghost town of Cactus Kate's
old place. A withered stump in a clay pot. It had gone dormant
without water.
It came back to life slowly in 2006. It appears to be a giant form
of San Pedro. Have to grow it out, get some larger specimens from
the few cuttings that exist. |
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A Trichocereus inter-variety love story |
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"If we try...maybe we can make it work."
"But my parents...""Oh, Blue, I love you! I feel so safe
when you're near me..."
"I love you, too, Green."
"We can live here together at Cat & Cactus Heaven, with the
cats protecting us from rodents, locust, and evil spirits."
"But what about children?"
"Ok, maybe we can't have children but we can have clones..."
"I love you."
"I love you, too." |
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