Big Gymnocalyciums

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Nick_G
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Big Gymnocalyciums

Post by Nick_G »

Which Gymnocalyciums can grow to 15cm/6 inches across and more. Single heads that is. I mean from your personal experience not from the literature. Saglionis, spegazzinii and cardenasianum for sure but which others? Monvillei, mostii perhaps? I read this morning of bodenbenderianum up to that size, now that would be an impressive plant.

I fancy growing things that get big these days, I've had enough of miniatures.
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Turbinicarpus, Lophophora, Ariocarpus, Lobivia and Gymnocalycium
Christian
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Re: Big Gymnocalyciums

Post by Christian »

At shows I have seen a Gymnocalycium bodenbenderianum approaching that size, but I am not sure they grow this large as a general rule. They are so slow anyway! I am fairly sure I‘ve seen Gymno horstii reaching this size, they are certainly nice chunky plants with attractive white flowers.
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Keith H
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Re: Big Gymnocalyciums

Post by Keith H »

Christian wrote: Fri May 07, 2021 9:17 am At shows I have seen a Gymnocalycium bodenbenderianum approaching that size, but I am not sure they grow this large as a general rule. They are so slow anyway! I am fairly sure I‘ve seen Gymno horstii reaching this size, they are certainly nice chunky plants with attractive white flowers.
I thought G horstii usually clumps before it gets three or four inches across.
I have a 5" diameter G. pflanzii not including the spines and a G. ochoterenae which is over 4" diameter but over 5" high that one is not a pretty plant as most of it's height is concertinaed body.
Both of them would have been in my original collection so will now be over forty years old.

Edit: My G . bodenbenderianum is also about that size but has just started to pup though obviously this could be easily removed.
Regards Keith.

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Tina
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Re: Big Gymnocalyciums

Post by Tina »

Hi Nick,
I have gymno HU79- was told its multiflorum but a quick google says it might be horstii, the chap who gave me my plant had one that was football size, welcome to an offset.
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Re: Big Gymnocalyciums

Post by Mike P »

I had a monvillei get to that size and then it started clumping. Didn’t look very good as it was the same height.
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Christian
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Re: Big Gymnocalyciums

Post by Christian »

Gymno horstii does clump, but the heads get quite large - my seedlings are 8cm across and are just starting to flower/offset, and the plant I had in mind had much larger heads, and at least five of those. It started marking and hasn’t returned to the show bench thereafter, but it is definitely „big“ for a Gymno. I‘ve heard some forms of gibbosum turn quite large, but I haven’t seen those myself.
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Nick_G
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Re: Big Gymnocalyciums

Post by Nick_G »

Thanks for your replies. Too wet this morning for the allotment so I had a brief look through the literature and have come up with 20 or so potential species including surprisingly for me G.glaucum.

I don't have much interest these days in a greenhouse rammed to the rafters with hundreds of plants and I am trying to downsize my collection. The problem I have found is deciding which way to go but I think I'm heading for bigger the better (all my Turbinicarpus are already gone) hoping that in the 20 or so greenhouse years I hopefully have left I can grow a few plants worth looking at.
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Turbinicarpus, Lophophora, Ariocarpus, Lobivia and Gymnocalycium
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iann
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Re: Big Gymnocalyciums

Post by iann »

G. saglionis is the obvious big one. G. spegazinii, which covers a multitude of sins, might get to that size but not any time soon. Same for G. ochoterenae/vatteri. G. pflanzi will also get to about that size, maybe quicker. After that, maybe some clumping ones. G. mesopotamicum clumps strongly although the individual heads are not big.
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Re: Big Gymnocalyciums

Post by ralphrmartin »

This is my Gymnocalycium multiflorum, pretty close to 6" across:
IMG_20210509_102112.jpg
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Re: Big Gymnocalyciums

Post by Nick_G »

ralphrmartin wrote: Mon May 10, 2021 7:42 am This is my Gymnocalycium multiflorum, pretty close to 6" across:

IMG_20210509_102112.jpg
That's one I was thinking of Ralph. I saw some biggish ones last year in Cordoba, I think I sent you some seed, Quebrada del Condorito being the biggest.
BCSS no.33806

Turbinicarpus, Lophophora, Ariocarpus, Lobivia and Gymnocalycium
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