WR493

[Paul D]

In my continued efforts to sort out the mess... my latest work in progress is WR493, which is the type plant of Aylostera gavazzii (whether or not you accept that name). When Rausch discovered it, he thought it was a small variety of A. raulii. Then later, it was collected up together with its co-habitant A. colorea, and thought to be a variety of A. colorea. Mosti found it in a collection, recognised it was slightly different, and after DNA work backed this up it was given its own name.
I have so far discovered, in nurseries, this field collection number attached to A. ritteri, A. raulii, A. colorea, A. atrovirens, A. froehlichiana, A. gavazzii and A. pygmaea, with a wide variety of body types, spination and flower colour. I've bought WR493 on a few occasions and have at least 3 different species of plant here with that number, one of which, with pink flowers, I believe to possibly be correct (although bought as A. froehlichiana!)
The question is, who is the real Spartacus? It is supposed to be smaller bodied than A. colorea or A. raulii, with pinker flowers, but otherwise very similar to A. colorea. Apparently spines, areoles and tubercles are different but Mosti acknowledges that the two are closely related.
While I'm waiting for my copy of "Cactus & Co" from 1999 to arrive, If you have WR493 (or R493) in your collection, can you please post a picture of it here?

[Phil_SK]

No plants of this in my collection but a quick rummage through my folder of cactus pdfs gives a few references you may want to consult if you've not done so already:

KuaS 1980, (6), 170 - no photos but mentioned in the description of raulii
Echinopseen 2000, 30, 59
Кактус-Клуб 2020, 2, 74 - includes a photo used by Mosti in the original description.

[KarlR]

Here's my version of gavazzii WR493. The flowers seem to fit your plant pretty well. The pygmaea variety behind it with orange-yellow flowers is also labeled as gavazzii, but obviously there must have been a mixup by the seed seller or perhaps by me while sowing. It looks slightly different to the one with the red-pink flowers, so I think it's most likely a diersiana.

The main head of the plant was attacked by rsm a few years ago, but it's making a nice clump now. The slightly pinker flower on the left is just a day older than the other.

My coloreas are still probably a week away from flowering while this one flowered on Monday.

[KarlR]

And here's my colorea VJ 14. They're not big. The gavazzii was sown in 2013 and these coloreas were sown in 2014. They're all in 5 cm pots by the way.

To me they look fairly different from my gavazzii. Much more open body and the epidermis is much darker as well. Spines are whiter in my gavazzii.

I mentioned in the previous post that it's probably still a week until they'll flower, which I think makes them the last pygmaea form to flower in my collection.

[Paul D]

No plants of this in my collection but a quick rummage through my folder of cactus pdfs gives a few references you may want to consult if you've not done so already:

KuaS 1980, (6), 170 - no photos but mentioned in the description of raulii
Echinopseen 2000, 30, 59
Кактус-Клуб 2020, 2, 74 - includes a photo used by Mosti in the original description.

Thanks Phil, I will check those out.

Here's my version of gavazzii WR493. The flowers seem to fit your plant pretty well. The pygmaea variety behind it with orange-yellow flowers is also labeled as gavazzii, but obviously there must have been a mixup by the seed seller or perhaps by me while sowing. It looks slightly different to the one with the red-pink flowers, so I think it's most likely a diersiana.

The main head of the plant was attacked by rsm a few years ago, but it's making a nice clump now. The slightly pinker flower on the left is just a day older than the other.

My coloreas are still probably a week away from flowering while this one flowered on Monday.

IMG_20210531_114201~2.jpg

Thanks Karl, that is very useful.

[Kees]

Do you read German?
Pp 59-63
Take a look at this: https://www.dkg.eu/wp-content/uploads/2 ... -30-FE.pdf

And:

https://www.dkg.eu/wp-content/uploads/2 ... t_1476.pdf

Is this the Cactus & co you are waiting for?

https://www.cactuspro.com/biblio_fichie ... 1999_1.pdf

[Paul D]

Do you read German?
Pp 59-63
Take a look at this: https://www.dkg.eu/wp-content/uploads/2 ... -30-FE.pdf

And:

https://www.dkg.eu/wp-content/uploads/2 ... t_1476.pdf

Thanks Kees, yes I have those and there are a few others that have argued one way or the other. The more pictures the merrier!

[Kees]

https://www.cactuspro.com/biblio_fichie ... 1999_1.pdf

Did you see this one in my above post?

[jfabiao]

This is likely old news for you, but my go-to site regarding all things Rebutia has a big list of references and photos regarding R. gavazzzii:

http://rebutia.sk/idents/gavazzii.htm

Unfortunately, it doesn't host the pictures himself and rather lists where they can be found, so some searching will still be needed.

[Paul D]

https://www.cactuspro.com/biblio_fichie ... 1999_1.pdf

Did you see this one in my above post?

Hi Kees,
sorry, I missed that! But no, it is issue 4 that I'm waiting for, which is not on cactuspro.