What's happened to my Turbinicarpus jauernigii?

[MikeDom]

It looks as though it is producing 3 offsets from the growing point, flowers still pushing through the centre of the 3 offsets. Is it the result of damage or something else - difficult to tell with all that wool? The rest of the plant looks healthy.

I don't want to damage the plant, so is it best to leave the offsets to grow or remove them now?

[Terry S.]

This could well have resulted from damage to the terminal meristem. If so then removing the offsets will not help the original plant, better to leave them, see what happens, and let the offsets get larger before using them as cuttings.

[iann]

Enjoy. Most people only have single-headed plants.

Odd that flowers would be coming though from the centre. The pups suggest that the main meristem is dead, but the flowers suggest not. Perhaps all will become clear in time.

[Ali Baba]

I have a Matucana madisonorum doing something similar which seems to be the result of flower buds forming in an abnormal way. The central point is still growing and it has since produced several flowers. I guess it shouldn’t be surprising given the morphology of cactus flowers.

[Ali Baba]

Here’s a picture. The offsets are very slow growing, I think they are about 3 years old now!

[esp]

My ancient, single head Loph. williamsii did this several years ago. I was thinking it was overdue offsetting, and it produced 4 pups from the centre. It did seem odd at the time.
They have now been pushed down to ground level and look normal. They seem to have grown at a normal rate, and at least a couple are flowering themselves. The main head has carried on growing regardless.

[Terry S.]

Yes, flowers developing from areole meristems do occasionally change into stem shoots. A genus that seems particularly prone is Notocactus in the old sense.

[Russell99]

Here is my ubelmannia pectinifera that did the same thing

[ralphrmartin]

I've had a couple of Gymnocalyciums do it this year too. I've tried taking them off and rooting them down as offsets, but they don't seem to take. I suspect it may be due to a sudden change in conditions as the buds are forming.

[el48tel]

I've had a couple of Gymnocalyciums do it this year too. I've tried taking them off and rooting them down as offsets, but they don't seem to take. I suspect it may be due to a sudden change in conditions as the buds are forming.

Do you think it's as a result of the different climate conditions we have seen this summer? The plants recognising that the success for seed production would be limited, so throwing effort into offset production. I've seen more offsets than flowers .... but it's perception rather than measurement.