Habitat plant?

[edds]

Was on eBay and spotted this.

I was looking at it and wondering if this was a habitat collected plant? It seemed a very big plant to be pictured like this if it had been grown by a hobbyist and for a very cheap price. Other listings look like plants imported from China so seller might not even be aware!

[Cidermanrolls]

Whatever the truth, the listing has gone.

[ChrisR]

With experience it's sometimes easy to recognise recently imported wild Conophytums, e.g. epidermal scarring and years of old sheaths. But it's also often difficult to impossible to be sure when they've had a year or more in cultivation to acclimatise and/or been broken up to root cuttings. With these illustrated above it's easy.....the pattern on each one is slightly different so it's a bunch of closely packed seedlings.

[edds]

Thanks Chris. That is a good tip about the different patterns and I will look out for that on future postings. It was a tip like that I was hoping for to help ensure I don't ever purchase collected plants.

It might be good if we had a sticky on here and/or an article on the main website on what to look out for to avoid buying collected plants and why newbies should avoid them?

[Admin]

Thanks Chris. That is a good tip about the different patterns and I will look out for that on future postings. It was a tip like that I was hoping for to help ensure I don't ever purchase collected plants.

It might be good if we had a sticky on here and/or an article on the main website on what to look out for to avoid buying collected plants and why newbies should avoid them?

Ed, that's a great idea! Thanks for volunteering to compile an article

[edds]

Thanks Chris. That is a good tip about the different patterns and I will look out for that on future postings. It was a tip like that I was hoping for to help ensure I don't ever purchase collected plants.

It might be good if we had a sticky on here and/or an article on the main website on what to look out for to avoid buying collected plants and why newbies should avoid them?

Ed, that's a great idea! Thanks for volunteering to compile an article

I would happily do it but would need others’ expertise in lots of areas!

Perhaps I can do an outline document cover why people shouldn't buy habitat collected plants and then ask others to weigh in with what specifics they should be looking for with particular cacti and succulents???

[ChrisR]

I’ve already had an article about poaching published in the MSG Bulletin. I’ve lately expanded on it significantly and that will be published in the June issue of the German journal ‘Avonia’. I’d be happy to share info and images with anyone who would like to contact me.

[edds]

I’ve already had an article about poaching published in the MSG Bulletin. I’ve lately expanded on it significantly and that will be published in the June issue of the German journal ‘Avonia’. I’d be happy to share info and images with anyone who would like to contact me.

Thanks Chris. Will try and draft something and will work out the best way to get some expert information from people who know what they're talking about!

[Apicra]

The following lengthy 1996 official document will answer this query in depth. I referenced it last year in CactusWorld in the note announcing the addition of Conophytum to CITES Appendix III. It really is worth reading!

https://www.speciesplus.net/api/v1/documents/14637

Best wishes,
Derek Tribble
MSG Chairman

[Acid John]

Thank you Derek that was some interesting reading.