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What is the purpose of this photographic home-page?
Mainly, I want to share my cactus collection with cactus enthusiasts like all collectors.
I take close details of the cactus morphology and due to this purpose, there are many pictures of the same plant. I also want to display their growing phases in the course of time.
In the internet websites dedicated to cacti, we can see so many pictures, but they have no or weak details. So, the identifying of a cactus as a new arrival into our collections, is very difficult generally (except it has a reliable label). The books about cacti have not good enough detailed pictures either. Using only the descriptions of the plants, it is nearly impossible to identify the completely unknown plant exactly. I hope, this kind of work will help my visitors to label their plants.
For labelling the species in my cactus collection, I use recently published cactus books written for both scientists and amateurs. The newest classification of the family Cactaceae is in The New Cactus Lexicon (2006) written by International Cacteceae Systematics Group. I follow this monumental book generally.
But for some genera, e.g. Coryphantha, Rebutia-Sulcorebutia, Notocactus-Parodia, Acanthocalycium, Cochemiea etc., I use some other reference books cause I believe that the classification of these genera is insufficient in the NCL.
There are many books about cacti from 70s and 80s in my library also, but their importance is only from historical point of view.
Another very valuable information source for cacti is Cactus Wold, The Journal of the British Cactus & Succulent Society. I have all of the volumes from 2000 to today of this periodical.
Here is the list of the books in my library which I use for classification:
1- The New Cactus Lexicon (2006) by ICSG, ed. D.Hunt, N.Taylor, G.Charles
2- The Cactus Family (2001), E.F.Anderson
3- Coryphantha Cacti of Mexico and Southern USA (2005), R.F.Dicht & A.D.Lüthy
4- Gymnocalycium In Habitat and Culture (2009), G.Charles
5- Mammillaria (1999), J.Pilbeam
6- A Sulco Gallery (2004), John Pilbeam & David Hunt
7- Rebutia (1997), J.Pilbeam
8- Ariocarpus et cetera (2006), J.Pilbeam & B.Weightman
9- Copiapoa (1998), G.Charles
10- Beginner's Guide to Cacti & Other Succulents - J.Ellis (2004)
11- Cacti and Succulents - An Illustrated Guide to the Plants and their Cultivation -- Graham Charles (2003)
12- Copiapoa - Rudolf Schulz (2006)
13- Ferocactus - J.Pilbeam & D.Bowdery
14- Gardener's Directory of Cacti & Succulents - M.Anderson (2001)
15- Tephrocactus (And Other Prickly Pears) - M.Kiessling (2000)
16- The Genus Sclerocactus - Fritz Hochstatter (2005)
17- The Genus Turbinicarpus - Milan Zachar (2004)
18- Turbinicarpus - Rapicactus, Knowing, understanding, and growing - David Donati and Carlo Zanovello (2005)
According to The New Cactus Lexicon (2006) by International Cactaceae Systematics Group, there are 124 accepted genera in the Cactus family. These genera comprise 1438 species and 378 subspecies. Totaly, there are 1816 good taxon in the family.
Here is the list of the genera, the first number is species count and the second number is subspecies count.
001- Acanthocereus 1 , 002- Acharagma 2 + 1 , 003- Ariocarpus 7 + 1 , 004- Armatocereus 7 + 2 , 005- Arrojadoa 5 , 006- Arthrocereus 4 + 2 , 007- Astrophytum 6 , 008- Austrocactus 3 , 009- Austrocylindropuntia 8 + 1 , 010- Aztekium 2 , 011- Bergerocactus 1 , 012- Blossfeldia 1 , 013- Brachycereus 1 , 014- Brasilicereus 2 , 015- Brasiliopuntia 1 , 016- Browningia 8 + 1 , 017- Calymmanthium 1 , 018- Carnegiea 1 , 019- Castellanosia 1 , 020- Cephalocereus 3 , 021- Cereus 25 + 4 , 022- Cipocereus 5 + 1 , 023- Cleistocactus 38 + 10 , 024- Coleocephalocereus 8 + 2 , 025- Consolea 3 , 026- Copiapoa 21 + 9 , 027- Corryocactus 12 , 028- Corynopuntia 14 , 029- Coryphantha 42 + 11 , 030- Cumarinia 1 , 031- Cumulopuntia 4 + 3 , 032- Cylindropuntia 33 , 033- Dendrocereus 2 , 034- Denmoza 1 , 035- Discocactus 11 + 1 , 036- Disocactus 11 + 5 , 037- Echinocactus 6 + 1 , 038- Echinocereus 67 + 39 , 039- Echinopsis 77 + 24 , 040- Epiphyllum 12 + 6 , 041- Epithelantha 2 , 042- Eriosyce 32 + 19 , 043- Escobaria 19 + 4 , 044- Escontria 1 , 045- Espostoa 11 +1 , 046- Espostoopsis 1 , 047- Eulychnia 4 +1 , 048- Facheiroa 3 +1 , 049- Ferocactus 28 +14 , 050- Frailea 12 + 6 , 051- Geohintonia 1 , 052- Grusonia 1 , 053- Gymnocalycium 49 +14 , 054- Haageocereus 9 + 5 , 055- Harrisia 9 , 056- Hatiora 6 +1 , 057- Hylocereus 14 , 058- Jasminocereus 1 , 059- Lasiocereus 2 , 060- Leocereus 1 , 061- Lepismıum 6 , 062- Leptocereus 11 , 063- Leuchtenbergia 1 , 064- Lophophora 3 , 065- Maihuenia 2 , 066- Maihueniopsis 7, 067- Mammillaria 163 + 69, 068- Mammilloydia 1 , 069- Matucana 14 + 7, 070- Melocactus 37 +13 , 071- Micranthocereus 9 + 1 , 072- Mila 1 + 2 , 073- Miqueliopuntia 1 , 074- Myrtillocactus 4 , 075- Neobuxbaumia 8 , 076- Neolloydia 2 , 077- Neoraimondia 2 , 078- N eowerdermannia 2 , 079- Nopalea 4, 080- Obregonia 1, 081- Opuntia 75 , 082- Oreocereus 6 + 2 , 083- Oroya 2 , 084- Ortegocactus 1 , 085- Pachycereus 13 , 086- Parodia 58 + 8 , 087- Pediocactus 7, 088- Pelecyphora 2 , 089- Peniocereus 20 , 090- Pereskia 17 + 1, 091- Pereskiopsis 6 , 092- Pfeiffera 9 + 1, 093- Pierrebraunia 2 , 094- Pilosocereus 41 + 8 , 095- Polaskia 2 , 096- Praecereus 2 + 4 , 097- Pseudoacanthocereus 2 , 098- Pseudorhipsalis 6 +3 , 099- Pterocactus 9 , 100- Pygmaeocereus 2 , 101- Quiabentia 2 , 102- Rauhocereus 1 +1 , 103- Rebutia 29 +11 , 104- Rhipsa1is 35 +13 , 105- Samaipaticereus 1 , 106- Schıumbergera 6 , 107- Sclerocactus 20 + 4 , 108- Selenicereus 12 + 3 , 109- Stenocactus 8 , 110- Stenocereus 24 + 1 , 111- Stephanocereus 2 , 112- Stetsonia 1 , 113- Strombocactus 1 +1 , 114- Strophocactus 3 , 115- Tacinga 6 + 2 , 116- Tephrocactus 7 , 117- Thelocactus 14 + 6 , 118- Tunilla 5 , 119- Turbinicarpus 16 +20 , 120- Uebelmannia 3 + 3 , 121- Weberbauerocereus 7 , 122- Weberocereus 8 + 2 , 123- Yavia 1 , 124- Yungasocereus 1.......
According to The New Cactus Lexicon (2006) by International Cactaceae Systematics Group there are four SUBFAMILIES and nine TRIBES, in the FAMILY CACTACEAE. Some genera have been divided to groups or subgenera. The numerals after a genus name show these groups.
Subfamily 1. CACTOIDEAE
Tribe 1. ECHINOCEREAE
Calymanthium
Pfeiffera 1.Pfeiffera, 2.Acanthorhipsalis, 3.Lymanbensonia
Corryocactus 1.C.squarrosus group (Erdisia), 2.C.melanotrichus group, 3.C.brevistylus group
Austrocactus…. Eulychnia…. Armatocereus…. Jasminocereus…. Neoraimondia…. Castellanosia…. Leptocereus…. Dendrocereus…. Acanthocereus…. Pseudoacanthocereus…. Strophocactus
Peniocereus 1.Nyctocereus, 2.Neoevansia, 3.Cullmannia, 4.Pseudoacanthocereus, 5.Peniocereus
Bergerocactus
Pachycereus 1.Anisocereus&Lemaireocereus, 2.Marginatocereus, 3.Backebergia & Lophocereus, 4.Pseudomitrocereus
Carnegia…. Neobuxbaumia…. Cephalocereus…. Escontria…. Myrtillocactus…. Polaskia
Stenocereus 1.Stenocereus, 2.Isolatocereus, 3.Machaerocereus, 4.Ritterocereus, 5.Hertrichocereus, 6.Rathbunia, 7.Marshallocereus
Echinocereus 1.Morangaya , 2.Erecti, 3.Triglochidiata, 4.Costati, 5.Echinocereus , 6.Reichenbachii, 7.Wilcoxia, 8.Pulchellus
Tribe 2. HYLOCEREEAE
Weberocereus…. Selenicereus
Hylocereus 1.Salmdyckia, 2.Hylocereus
Epiphyllum
Disocactus 1.Aporocactus, 2.Ackermannia, 3.Nopalxochia, 4.Disocactus….
Pseudorhipsalis 1.Pseudorhipsalis, 2.Wittia
Tribe 3. RHIPSALIDEAE
Lepismium
Rhipsalis 1.Phyllarthrorhipsalis, 2.Epallagogonium, 3.Rhipsalis, 4.Erythrorhipsalis, 5.Calamorhipsalis
Hatiora 1.Hatiora, 2.Rhipsalidopsis
Schlumbergera
Tribe 4. CEREEAE
Browningia…. Stetsonia…. Praecereus
Cereus 1.Mirabella, 2.Ebneria, 3.Cereus, 4.Subpilocereus
Brasilicereus…. Cipocereus
Pilosocereus 1.Gounellea, 2.P.arrabidae group, 3.P.pentaedrohorus group, 4.P.leucocephalus group, 5.P.aurisetus group, 6.P.piauhyensis group.
Micranthocereus 1.Austrocephalocereus , 2.Micranthocereus, 3.Siccobaccatus
Espostoopsis…. Pierrebraunia…. Stephanocereus…. Arrojodoa
Coleocephalocereus 1.Coleocephalocereus, 2.Simplex, 3.Buiningia
Melocactus…. Uebelmannia
Tribe 5. TRICHOCEREEAE
Brachycereus…. Leocereus… Mila…. Pygmaeocereus…. Haageocereus…. Espostoa…. Facheiroa…. Lasiocereus… Rauhocereus… Yungasocereus… Weberbaurocereus
Cleistocactus 1.Cleistocactus, 2.Borzicactus
Denmoza…. Oreocereus…. Matucana…. Oroya… Samaipaticereus… Harrisia… Arthrocereus
Echinopsis 1.Trichocereus, 2.Echinopsis, 3.Lobivia
Rebutia 1.Weingartia, 2.Sulcorebutia, 3.Mediolobivia, 4.Aylostera, 5.Rebutia
Gymnocalycium 1.Macrosemineum, 2.Gymnocalycium, 3.Microsemineum, 4.Trichomosemineum , 5.Muscosemineum
Discocactus
Tribe 6. NOTOCACTEAE
Neowerdermannia
Eriosyce 1.Eriosyce, 2.Pyrrhocactus, 3.Neoporteria, 4.Horridocactus , 5.Thelocephala, 6.Islaya
Parodia 1.Eriocactus, 2.Wigginsia, 3.Notocactus, 4.Brasilicactus, 5.Parodia
Frailea…. Blossfeldia…. Yavia…. Copiapoa….
Tribe 7. CACTEAE
Echinocactus…. Astrophytum…. Aztekium…. Geohintonia…. Pediocactus
Sclerocactus 1.Ancistrocactus, 2.Echinomastus, 3.Sclerocactus
Thelocactus
Turbinicarpus 1.Turbinicacrpus, 2.Rapicactus
Strombocactus…. Lophophora…. Obregonia…. Ariocarpus…. Neolloydia…. Epithelantha…. Mammilloydia…. Leuchtenbergia
Ferocactus 1.F.glauscescens group, 2.F.latispinus group, 3.F.wislizeni group, 4.F.pottsii group
Stenocactus…. Coryphantha…. Cumarinia…. Acharagma….. Escobaria…. Pelecyphora…. Ortegocactus
Mammillaria 1.Oehmea, 2.Dolichotehele, 3.Phellosperma, 4.Ancistracanthae (Chilita), 5.Krainzia, 6.Herrerae, 7.Cochemia, 8.Mamillopsis, 9.Lasiacanthae (Bombycinae), 10.Stylothelae, 11.Proliferae, 12.Sphacelatae, 13.Pseudomammillaria, 14.Leptocladodia, 15.Heterochlorae, 16.Rhodanthae, 17.Polyacanthae, 18.Supertextae, 19.Leucocephalae, 20.Mammillaria, 21.Polyedrae
Subfamily 2. PERESKIOIDEAE
Pereskia
Subfamily 3. MAIHUENIOIDEAE
Maihuenia
Subfamily 4. OPUNTIOIDEAE
Tribe 1. CYLINDROPUNTIEAE
Austrocylindropuntia…. Cumulopuntia…. Maihueniopsis…. Tephrocactus… Pterocactus…. Quiabentia… Pereskiopsis
Cylindropuntia 1.Echinocarpae, 2.Imbricatae, 3.Bigelovianae, 4.Leptocaules, 5.Ramosissimae
Corynopuntia…. Grusonia
Tribe 2. OPUNTIEAE
Miqueliopuntia…. Tunilla…. Tacinga…. Brasiliopuntia…. Consolea…. Nopalea
Opuntia 1.Chaffeyanae etc., 2.Aurantiacae, 3.Armatae & Sulphureae, 4.O.quitensis, 5.O.galapageia, 6.Elatiores, 7.Pumilae & Curassavicae , 8.Polyacanthae, 9.Tunae & O.stricta, 10.Basilares, 11.Phaeacanthae, 12.Streptacanthae etc., 13.Stenopetalae
After heavy lumping processes by various authors during last two decads, many old genera have been sunken into the accepted genera. Here is the final list of them as to The New Cactus Lexicon (2006). Capitals are accepted good genera ...ACANTHOCEREUS,
Acanthocalycium > Echinopsis ,
Acantholobivia > Echinopsis ,
Acanthorhipsalis B&R > Pfeiffera ,
Acanthorhipsalis Kimn > Pfeiffera ,
ACHARAGMA ,
Akersia > Cleistocactus ,
Ancistrocactus > Sclerocactus,
Anisocereus > Pachycereus ,
Aporocactus > Disocactus ,
Arequipa > Oreocereus ,
Arequipiopsis > Oreocereus ,
ARIOCARPUS ,
ARMATOCEREUS ,
ARROJADOA ,
ARTHROCEREUS ,
ASTROPHYTUM ,
AUSTROCACTUS ,
AUSTROCYLINDROPUNTIA ,
AZTEKIUM ,
Azureocereus > Browningia ,
Backebergia > Pachycereus ,
Bartschella > Mammillaria ,
BERGEROCACTUS ,
Binghamia > Espostoa ,
Bisnaga > Ferocactus ,
BLOSSFELDIA
Bolivicereus > Cleistocactus ,
Bonifazia > Disocactus ,
Borzicactella > Cleistocactus ,
Borzicactus > Cleistocactus ,
Brachycalycium > Gymnocalycium ,
BRACHYCEREUS ,
Brasilicactus > Parodia ,
BRASILICEREUS ,
Brasiliparodia > Parodia ,
Bravocactus > Turbinicarpus ,
BRASILIOPUNTIA ,
BROWNINGIA ,
Buiningia > Coleocephalocereus ,
Cactus L > Mammillaria ,
Cactus sensu B&R > Melocactus ,
CALYMMANTHIUM ,
CARNEGIEA ,
CASTELLANOSIA ,
CEPHALOCEREUS ,
Cephalocleistocactus > Cleistocactus ,
CEREUS ,
Chamaecereus > Echinopsis ,
Chiapasia > Disocactus ,
Chichipia > Polaskia ,
Chilita > Mammillaria ,
Cintia > Rebutia ,
CIPOCEREUS ,
CLEISTOCACTUS ,
Cochemiea > Mammillaria ,
Cochiseia > Escobaria ,
COLEOCEPHALOCEREUS ,
Coloradoa > Sclerocactus ,
CONSOLEA ,
COPIAPOA ,
CORRYOCACTUS ,
CORYNOPUNTIA ,
CORYPHANTHA ,
Cryptocereus > Selenicereus ,
Cullmannia > Peniocereus ,
CUMARINIA ,
CUMULOPUNTIA ,
CYLINDROPUNTIA ,
Deamia > Strophocactus ,
Delaetia > Eriosyce ,
DENDROCEREUS ,
DENMOZA ,
Digitorebutia > Rebutia ,
Digitostigma > Astrophytum ,
DISCOCACTUS ,
DISOCACTUS ,
Dolichothele > Mammillaria ,
Eccremocactus > Weberocereus ,
ECHINOCACTUS ,
ECHINOCEREUS ,
Echinofossulocactus Lawr
> Echinocactus ,
Echinofossulocactus sensu B&R
> Stenocactus ,
Echinomastus > Sclerocactus ,
ECHINOPSIS ,
Emorycactus > Echinocactus ,
Encephalocarpus > Pelecyphora ,
Eomatucana > Matucana ,
Epiphyllanthus > Schlumbergera ,
Epiphyllopsis > Hatiora ,
EPIPHYLLUM ,
Epiphyllum Pf > Schlumbergera ,
EPITHELANTHA ,
Erdisia > Corryocactus ,
Eriocactus > Parodia ,
Eriocephala > Parodia ,
Eriocereus > Harrisia ,
ERIOSYCE ,
Erythrorhipsalis > Rhipsalis ,
ESCOBARIA ,
Escobariopsis > Mammillaria ,
Escobrittonia > Coryphantha ,
Escocoryphantha > Escobaria ,
ESCONTRIA ,
ESPOSTOA ,
ESPOSTOOPSIS ,
EULYCHNIA ,
FACHEIROA ,
FEROCACTUS ,
Floribunda > Cipocereus ,
FRAILEA ,
GEOHINTONIA ,
Gerocephalus > Espostoopsis ,
Glandulicactus > Sclerocactus ,
GRUSONIA ,
Gymnanthocereus > Browningia ,
Gymnocactus > Turbinicarpus ,
GYMNOCALYCIUM ,
HAAGEOCEREUS ,
Hamatocactus > Thelocactus ,
HARRISIA ,
Haseltonia > Cephalocereus ,
HATIORA ,
HYLOCEREUS ,
Hymenorebutia > Echinopsis
Islaya > Eriosyce ,
Isolatocereus > Stenocereus ,
JASMİNOCEREUS ,
Kadenicarpus > Turbinicarpus ,
Krainzia > Mammillaria ,
LASIOCEREUS ,
Lemaireocereus > Pachycereus ,
LEOCEREUS ,
Lepidocoryphantha > Coryphantha ,
LEPISMIUM ,
LEPTOCEREUS ,
Leptocladodia > Mammillaria ,
LEUCHTENBERGIA ,
Leucostele > Echinopsis ,
Lobeira > Disocactus ,
Lobivia > Echinopsis ,
Lophocereus > Pachycereus ,
LOPHOPHORA ,
Loxanthocereus > Cleistocactus ,
Lymanbensonia > Pfeiffera ,
Maehaerocereus > Stenocereus ,
MAIHUENIA ,
MAIHUENIOPSIS ,
Malaeocarpus S-D non Fisch&Meyer
> Parodia ,
Mamillopsis > Mammillaria ,
MAMMILLARIA ,
MAMMILLOYDIA ,
Marenopuntia > Opuntia ,
Marginatocereus > Pachycereus ,
Maritimocereus > Cleistocactus ,
Marniera > Selenicereus ,
Marshallocereus > Stenocereus ,
MATUCANA ,
Mediocactus > Hylocereus ,
Mediolobivia Bkbg > Rebutia ,
MELOCACTUS ,
Meyerocactus > Echinocactus ,
MICRANTHOCEREUS ,
MILA ,
MIQUELIOPUNTIA ,
Mirabella > Cereus ,
Mitrocereus > Pachycereus ,
Monvillea B&R (as to type)
> Acanthocereus ,
Monvillea sensu B&R > Praecereus ,
Morangaya > Echinocereus ,
Morawetzia > Oreocereus ,
MYRTILLOCACTUS ,
Navajoa > Pediocactus ,
Neoabbottia > Leptocereus ,
Neobesseya > Escobaria ,
Neobinghamia > xHaagespostoa ,
NEOBUXBAUMIA ,
Neocardenasia > Neoraimondia ,
Neochilenia > Eriosyce ,
Neodawsonia > Cephalocereus ,
Neoevansia > Peniocereus ,
Neogomesia > Ariocarpus ,
NEOLLOYDIA ,
Neomammillaria > Mammillaria ,
Neoporteria > Eriosyce ,
NEORAIMONDIA ,
NEOWERDERMANNIA ,
NOPALEA ,
Nopalxochia > Disocactus ,
Normanbokea > Turbinicarpus ,
Notocactus > Parodia ,
Nyctocereus > Peniocereus ,
OBREGONIA ,
Oehmea > Mammillaria ,
OPUNTIA ,
OREOCEREUS ,
OROYA ,
ORTEGOCACTUS ,
PACHYCEREUS ,
PARODIA ,
PEDIOCACTUS ,
PELECYPHORA ,
PENIOCEREUS ,
PERESKIA ,
PERESKIOPSIS ,
Peruvocereus > Haageocereus ,
PFEIFFERA ,
Phellosperma > Mammillaria ,
Philippicereus > Eulychnia ,
Phyllocactus > Epiphyllum ,
PIERREBRAUNIA ,
Pilocanthus > Pediocactus ,
Pilocereus Lem > Cephalocereus ,
Pilocereus KSch > Pilosocereus ,
Pilocopiapoa > Copiapoa ,
PILOSOCEREUS ,
POLASKIA ,
PRAECEREUS ,
PSEUDOACANTHOCEREUS ,
Pseudoespostoa > Espostoa ,
Pseudolobivia > Echinopsis ,
Pseudomammillaria > Mammillaria ,
Pseudomitrocereus > Pachycereus ,
Pseudonopalxochia > Disocactus ,
Pseudopilocereus > Pilosocereus ,
PSEUDORHİPSALIS ,
Pseudozygocactus > Hatiora ,
PTEROCACTUS ,
Pterocereus > Pachycereus ,
Puna > Maihueniopsis ,
PYGMAEOCEREUS ,
Pyrrhocactus > Eriosyce ,
QUIABENTIA ,
Rapicactus > Turbinicarpus ,
Rathbunia > Stenocereus ,
RAUHOCEREUS ,
REBUTIA ,
Reicheocactus > Echinopsis ,
Rhipsalidopsis > Hatiora ,
RHIPSALIS ,
Rhodocactus > Pereskia ,
Ritterocereus > Stenocereus ,
Rodentiophila > Eriosyce ,
Rooksbya > Neobuxbaumia ,
Roseocactus > Ariocarpus ,
Roseocereus > Harrisia ,
SAMAIPATICEREUS ,
SCHLUMBERGERA ,
SCLEROCACTUS ,
SELENICEREUS ,
Seticereus > Cleistocactus ,
Seticleistocactus > Cleistocactus ,
Setiechinopsis > Echinopsis ,
Siccobacactus > Micranthocereus ,
Soehrensia > Echinopsis ,
Solisia > Mammillaria ,
STENOCACTUS ,
STENOCEREUS ,
STEPHANOCEREUS ,
STETSONIA ,
STROMBOCACTUS ,
STROPHOCACTUS ,
Submatueana > Matucana ,
Subpilocereus > Cereus ,
Sulcorebutia > Rebutia ,
TACINGA ,
TEPHROCACTUS ,
THELOCACTUS ,
Thelocephala > Eriosyce ,
Thrixanthocereus > Espostoa ,
Torreyocactus > Thelocactus ,
Toumeya > Sclerocactus ,
Triehocereus > Echinopsis ,
TUNILLA ,
TURBINICARPUS ,
UEBELMANNIA ,
Utahia > Pediocactus ,
Vatrieania > Espostoa ,
WEBERBAUEROCEREUS ,
WEBEROCEREUS ,
Weingartia > Rebutia ,
Werckleocereus > Weberocereus ,
Wigginsia > Parodia ,
Wilcoxia > Echinocereus ,
Wilmattea > Hylocereus ,
Winteria Ritt non Murr
> Cleistocactus ,
Winterocereus > Cleistocactus ,
Wittia KSch non Pantocsek
> Pseudorhipsalis ,
Wittiocactus > Pseudorhipsalis ,
YAVIA ,
YUNGASOCEREUS ,
Zehntnerella > Facheiroa ,
Zygocactus > Schlumbergera….
Growing cacti from seeds isn’t very difficult. However, they need an extra attention
than their parents. The seedlings flower in two to four years generally. But for some species, for example Coryphantas and columnar ones, the flowering time gets so many years.
If you have a special propagator, use it. I have not, so I use a home made one.
Here is step by step my seed growing method:
1. The sowing medium is 2-3 mm in diameter washed sand and ready to use peat, 1:1 in proportions.
2. The sowing place is 5 cm plastic pot groups in a large clear plastic box with tightly closed lid. I separate these pots into two to four compartments because the sowing numbers are limited about 5-20 grains. I obtain more space also.
3. Water and spray the compost with a broad spectrum fungicid added ( eg. Captan) fresh water before sowing,
4. Sprinkle the seeds on the soil surface. You can slightly press the big seeds but not bury them, and attention that the hilum is downwards. Do not forget the species name labels.
5. Spray the seeds again with fungicide,
6. Close the lid firmly. This home made propagator must be hermetic to obtain consistently moist soil and high humidity in the environment.
7. Put the propagator in a warm room with bright lightening.
In this case, the room is my working room at home. You can use your greenhouse, if you can obtain these 'must be' conditions.
I use a special, sunlight emitting 2x2x18W fluorescent tubes, (Osram, Fluora). It is about 25 cm in distance to the soil surface and on for 14 hours daily.
The temperature must be around 20-25 C in the system. 20-22 C is ordinary room temperature in winter and sufficient for the seedlings at nights. The day temperature raises to 24-25 C due to greenhouse effect in the propagator, by lamps.
The temperature variation between night and day seems to be beneficial and to some extent simulates habitat conditions. Note that below 20 C and over 25-30 C temperatures might be harmful to seedlings or seeds not germinate.
The relative humidity in the system must be over 80%. For the first two months we must ensure that the inner surfaces of the propagator is constantly covered by a film or vapour of water.
You can do airing shortly time to time. It may be useful to prevent fungus proliferation. But never allow the soil to dry. It must be wet always until the seedlings reach to considerable size, to 7-8 months old, maybe to a year or more for very slow growing species seedlings. If you notice a mould proliferation, you can spray the system with the fungicide.
When the seedlings are about 1-1.5 years old, you can transfer them to new pots, if you wish to.
Germination takes one to two weeks usually. But for some species it takes more time and even in the same batch, some seeds can germinate weeks later. Just wait !
There are some germinating methods for difficult species' seeds . For this, a procedure is 'Scarification' and helps water penetrate into the seed thus initiating the germination process, in different ways.
A way for large seeds with a hard coat is softened them by soaking in hot water or vinegar, check if the seed coat swells. Also you can scarified them with sandpaper or a file or chipped with a needle.
Another good way for germinating better the seeds by scarification is soaking the seeds in pure sulphuric acid for 10-12 minutes and immediately washed afterwards and then sow.
Treatment with Gibberellic acide (GA3) is another very useful method for persistently not germinating seeds. Soak for one or two days the seeds in 0.5 - 0.7 gm GA3 per liter aquous solution of GA3 ( I use the 1 gram tablet form). Then sow them. It may require more concentrated solution, eg. 1 gm GA3 per liter water. Also it may require for big seeds a mechanical scarification before or after GA3.
I am trying the latter two methods nowadays for the seeds of Eriosyce umadavae, Sclerocactus sensu stricto, Pediocactus, Neowerdermannia, Austrocactus, Opuntia, small Opuntioids likeTephrocactus, and Mahuenia species.
Another method is named 'Stratification'. For some cold hardy species from environments with cold winters may require exposure to cold or even freezing conditions to break dormancy (simulating natural passage through a winter). There are several methods that you can try. For example, to force germination, before or after sowing, enclosed in plastic bags having been moistened beforehand, place seeds or the container in the refrigerator for at least two months at a temperature 4 C. Another way is alternately placing the seeds in the refrigerator and ice compartment over several weeks to simulate freezing and melting cycles.
When seedlings reach a few milimeters, you can cover the soil surface with very fine grit or sand. This is useful for preventing algae and moss proliferation on the soil surface.
Well, keep growing !
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My greenhouse (serre or sera in Turkish), is mainly for wintering of the collection. (see the album named GREENHOUSE).
The sunny time is not enough in it. It is due to the obligatory position of the greenhouse in the backyard. So, most of the plants stay outdoor from May to October.
This wall greenhouse is in backyard of my house and built in September 2005. Its frames are PVC and its panes are made by heat keeping double glasses. It has a locked door and a transom for ventilation. There are a thermostatically controlled fan heater and a remote sensor for max.-min.temperature and humidity in it. The latter sends radio waves to the weather station in the home.
Greenhouse is armed with ten Fluora sun-light fluorescent tubes (18W, by Osram). In dark winter days, they open 14 hours a day.
The serre is small (170x150x220 cm) but very handy, especially for wintering of the collection.
Nowadays, there are about 450 species, subspecies, variety and forma in it. I usually keep only one sample for a taxon. Cause, I have a very limited space.
I have portable mini-serre for wintering of special cold hardy species, like Sclerocactus and Pediocactus.
TEMP.: The temperature in the serre is around 8 C in winter nights. During the day time, it raises up to 12-18 C due to the greenhouse effect. The humidity is between 30-50%.
Allowing fresh air into the serre is very important and when the weather is appropriate, I leave the door and vent open as long as possible.
SUN : I live in Ankara, which is on high plateau in the middle Anatolia. Our winter is cold but not so wet, we can see the sun generally, and summer is very dry and hot. So, there is sun-scorch danger that most of my plants live outdoor in the Summer. For preventing sun-scorch, I arrange a thin nylon sheet over the shelves.
SOIL: I use my special compost. Its contents are equal parts of a mixture of clean and dry peat, 3-5 mm in diameter clean river sand and 5-10 mm in diameter gravel, usually cracked tufa or marble-lime.
This mixture allows very speedy drainage.
If necessary I repot the plants into a one-number-big size pot or change the compost of the same pot, generally with 3-4 years intervals.
WATER: I start watering the cacti around mid-March with light spraying, once full watering towards mid-April and freely in May and hot summer months with attention to almost complete drying between waterings (this takes about one to two week ). Then reduce in September and stop at the end of October.
By the way, this scheme is for general cactus care, but some genera like Frailea, Notocactus, Parodia and Melocactus etc. need some special watering regimes (see info of related genera's albums).
I apply a liquid fertiliser for cacti (NPK=4:6:8, MgO%2, with 1.7% trace elements) with every other watering.
The water must be around pH5.5 to 5.8 by acide adding. This kind of prevention from alkalinisation of the soil is very important for healthy growing of cacti. You can use one tablespoon-ful vinegar per 5 gallons. If you have a pH meter, glacial acetic acid is also very helpful (around ten drops or 0.5 cc to one liter water).
I wash the plants when I water them, with a strong spray for cleaning the dust and preventing from red spider.
I use at least two different kinds of strong plant insecticide for preventing insect attacks. First applying is generally with second watering added insecticide to water and spreying, and three to four times more with intervals of one month. I always quarantine new arrivals at least 2 weeks and apply insecticides.
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In May 2004, I left my old Nikon F801 into the my old cameras’ museum and began to use Fuji FinePix S7000 6.3mpx and then S9600 9.2mpx digital cameras. All the photos in these cactus albums were taken by this machines.
The photos were shot with aperture priority or manuel modes due to gain the best depth-of-field
and using the warm-tone Fuji Colour mode,
with normal or hard sharpness modes,
and with super macro facilities of the camera.
For example, the very close-up spines are only 1-2 mm distant to the lens.
I use sun light in the shade or filtered through trees and natural background as a garden or small rocks. Usually, I don’t use artificial light and tripods etc. I prefer morning or late afternoon light in summer days and midday light in spring and autumn days.
If the light is weak, I use 800 ISO range, but generally 200-400 is sufficient for macros.
I take photos in maximum range of the camera, eg. 6 mpx is equall almost four A4 page. The reason is to catch maximum details of the cacti without any enlarging process and to gain maximum resolutions.
I edit the photos, like resizing, cutting and doing the other treatments which are necessary, with ACDSee photo-manager 2009 and ACDSee Photo-editor 2008 photo-editing programmes in my computer.
Please wait...
