Advanced ID quiz

[Guest]

OK,

The second one is Mamm albiflora and the first escobaria lauii and of course as I said earlier the interloper is escobaria minima.

[iann]

Yes, the second one is the M. albiflora, and they are Phil's seeds from the seed pool. I suppose it goes without saying now that the first one is not a Mammillaria. Nor is it Escobaria lauii, Turbinicarpus krainziana, or a Sulcorebutia.

[Tina]

Hi Ian

Just had a quick browse of my seedlings so lets try T.lophoroides , I did think T.pseudopectinata but spination isn't feathered enough.
Re the cuckoo -No idea

Oop, trust me to type before I had read all the threads fully



Post Edited (08-09-06 12:48)

[iann]

Oops, missed Phil's reply from last night. Definitely a passing grade for getting the genus right in both cases. Amazing how a Mammillaria and a Turbinicarpus look almost identical!

Tina, Bob nailed the Escobaria minima straight off. I wouldn't have known except that it is right next to a whole bunch of them in the next cell I find it odd that a plant renowned for its stubby white spines has orangey spines at this age

[Phil White]

Hi Ian,
That's o.k. although you did have me wondering for a wile with the turb !!! Strangely enought he only one I wasn't 100% sure of was the Mamm !!! but I think if I had not read other posts 1st I would have guessed at either M. herrerae or M. albiflora but the latter is usually taller as your excellent picture shows.
Well as it is still open how about T. pseudomacrochele ?

[iann]

To try and bring this to a close, two out of three have been correctly named. The name of the third has been mentioned but not applied to the correct seedlings! To save you going through the process of elimination, the top tray is Turbinicarpus valdezianus. Bob was so close on that first reply! Not sure if these are Phil's or Pierre's seeds but germination was good. Too good for my limited growing space!

[Tina]

Ian
The seed bank worked very well,I can swap some T.swabodoe - next yronce they are bigger, I have problems with T.Alonsoi which is probably my favourite Turb but shall percevere.
I'm Ok for T.lophoroides but Bob has problms with these, it's odd itsn't it.

Next yr we shall have masses of swap seedlings which will be really good.

[iann]

DISASTER! I got the answer wrong in my own quiz

The top picture is not T. valdezianus seedlings, which are much more densely spined and not red. They are in fact Turbinicarpus pseudomacrochele. Oh, woe is me!

Yes, the seed pool worked well. A little too well for me with my limited growing space! A very large number of the Escobaria minima (distributed as Coryphantha minima) also germinated. And some of your seeds too, Tina, Copiapoas and a couple of others I think.

[Phil White]

hmmm you did have me wondering Ian as I didn't think they were t. valdezianus. I thought they might have been T. pseudomacrochele assuming they weren't krainzianus. I haven't as much seed this year due to the dreaded ants but I am glad they have done so well. I probably have more seed stored than I realise so maybe over the winter months I can add some again. Not sure what's going to happen to all those seedlings though ???

[iann]

I'm gathering quite a bit of seed this year, mostly from succulents since I have only one of most mature cactus species. The seed pool should be nicely topped up over winter

I don't know what's going to happen to all those seedlings either! I've been finding it surprisingly hard to give away plants, at least to give away enough. The one time I didn't have enough was the branch show last month where anything with a flower or bud on it was snapped up by the general public before I even arrived in the morning!