i am sure it is a polaskia ,as previously stated .i bought one too at homebase and finally tracked it down ,after scouring all my refrence books ,apparently ,grows to 15 ft ,and branches off ,so should be a good ,long term plant ,not too sure about water/light/soil requirements sally I would agree ...

An interesting discussion, thanks for all the replies. It seems on balance most people share my basic view, which is that the top end of any market has always been expensive (perhaps cacti are catching up here?), whilst acknowledging the various foibles, inconsistencies and pitfalls also involved. I...

Western flower thrips are a pain but, so far as I have been able to determine, seem to damage nothing more than flowers or fruit on cacti (I cannot speak for succulents). Two years ago, I repotted my entire collection of 1400 plants (into to dry mix) in the middle of winter, followed by the usual Pr...

I have started this as a new thread in order, hopefully, to stimulate some thought and potential discussion. I do not have the answers or even know if there are any. I would also like to say that Doug Donaldson was a friend of our branch, someone whose company I enjoyed enormously and that his colle...

Bill wrote:Chatting with Dorreen I don't think she has any intention of leaving the hobby, indeed she has even arranged a "chauffeur" to take her to ELK in September.

Thanks, Bill, that's good to hear.

I was unable to attend but I am glad it was a success.

I hope that Doreen stays in touch with the cactus community. She is a genuinely nice lady and her stoicism throughout this difficult time deserves its own reward.

Mammillaria plumosa is the likely candidate from the spines and shape of the tubercles but, as others have said, this head is very etiolated and needs decent light to compact. M. plumosa is quite variable yet always distinctive. Heads on different forms very in size and spine density. In my collecti...

Hi Val Not the question you asked, I know, but if you're seeking Cleistocactus winteri, I would also recommend its recently added subspecies colademono (also known as Hildewinteria colademonis). It has longer, white, hair-like spination, against which the orange-red flowers look superb; and it flowe...

The NCL has summarised a lot of information, some of it generally available, but a fair bit that was the result of considerable discussions in the various working groups of experts. It would be nice, but extremely difficult, I suspect, to publish the rationale for all the various changes. You'd nee...

Classifications can be based on any feature you choose from skin colour to eye colour or nose length. Mine vary according to the time of day! Seriously, though, thanks for stirring the memory banks about numerical taxonomy, I'd virtually forgotten all about it; and I think you've hit the nail on th...