Pygmaeocereus_densiaculeatus

[John E]

Pygmaeocereus densiaculeatus was described as long ago as 1963 yet appears to be rare in collections in the UK. In Holland it appears to be more widely available. I purchased a nice plant a couple of weeks ago but it does not seem to be in the Cactus Lexicon. Does anyone know the name that this plant goes under nowadays?
John E

[Phil_SK]

I *think* this is the one that is synonymous with Haageocereus lanugispinus, which, inturn, has been referred to H. tenuis.

[John E]

Thanks for that Phil.

[Hob]

at desert tropicals .........

http://www.desert-tropicals.com

Pygmaeocereus densiaculeatus synonym of Haageocereus lanugispinus

[Diane]

Hi John, is your plant on it's own roots? I have a grafted cristate, which I've had for about 20 years, in fact, just grafted some new bits, as the old ones tend to stop growing. Sometimes it produces normal finger-like growths, which I've also grafted, but they just seem to lengthen, not producing offsets or clumps. I remember reading somewhere that they are impossible to root - I've never been able to root any of the normal growths, also that they don't flower in cultivation, but they are so unique in spination - really attractive. Nice to know that they are being made available!

[Guest]

Diane,

You can root them it is just very very slow.
The usual problem is they dry up before rooting.
Basically take the cutting put on cat litter or similar put under the bench and forget for a year or so just dampen the medium once a month. Take half a dozen cuttings and you will find half will root the rest may take longer or just dry up.
Another trick I found by accident and don't do it with something valuable. I had a cutting of an ariocarpus that I put in an airtight sanwich box to take it home, I forgot about it and about four months later found it in the spare wheel well in my boot it had been in the dark all that time. Amazingly it had roots when I opened the box.

[Phil_SK]

Airtight box... presumably without cat litter? (just to be clear).

[Diane]

Thanks, Bob! very interesting. I don't get enough growth to try half a dozen cuttings, but good to know they can be rooted. The cat litter thing is something I've not tried yet - I usually use Perlite for "iffy" things - thinks I will have try this! got some "normal" stems grafted - when they get a bit bigger might try rooting them!

[Guest]

Hi Phil,

Yes nothing in the box and the cutting was ready for rooting, it was an accident but it certainly got the roots going.