Cactus flowers - a riot of colour

Discussion in 'Talk about UBC Botanical Garden' started by wcutler, Jun 11, 2021.

  1. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    Thanks to Laura Caddy for suggesting I check out the cacti in the greenhouse - it was not on my agenda at all. They were thrilling.

    I got a little hint from this Opuntia 'Pony', with most of the flowers facing outside the greenhouse (but the label was inside).
    OpuntiaPony_UBCBG_Cutler_20210609_154838.jpg OpuntiaPony_UBCBG_Cutler_20210609_155050.jpg

    Edited, see below, not Opuntia fragilis. Echinopsis huascha?
    Opuntia-fragilis_UBCBG_Cutler_20210609_154904.jpg Opuntia-fragilis_UBCBG_Cutler_20210609_154914.jpg Opuntia-fragilis_UBCBG_Cutler_20210609_154926.jpg Opuntia-fragilis_UBCBG_Cutler_20210609_154936.jpg Opuntia-fragilis_UBCBG_Cutler_20210609_154939.jpg

    Echinopsis bruchii and Echinocereus triglochidiatus
    Echinopsis-bruchii_UBCBG_Cutler_20210609_155036.jpg Echinocereus-triglochidiatus_UBCBG_Cutler_20210609_155104.jpg

    Opuntia 'Colorado Red'
    OpuntilColoradoRed_UBCBG_Cutler_20210609_155113.jpg OpuntilColoradoRed_UBCBG_Cutler_20210609_155142.jpg OpuntilColoradoRed_UBCBG_Cutler_20210609_155146.jpg

    Opuntia polyacantha 'Citrus Punch'
    Opuntila-polyacanthaCitrusPunch_UBCBG_Cutler_20210609_155208.jpg Opuntila-polyacanthaCitrusPunch_UBCBG_Cutler_20210609_155213.jpg

    Opuntia polyacantha var. polyacantha
    Opuntila-polyacanthaVar.polyacantha_UBCBG_Cutler_20210609_155238.jpg Opuntila-polyacanthaVar.polyacantha_UBCBG_Cutler_20210609_155245.jpg

    Edited, see below, not Rebutia minuscula, which seems to be red. Opuntia fragilis?? This has shorter thorns (spines) than the O. polyacantha.
    Edited again, see Margot's posting below, showing her Opuntia fragilis with thorns (spines) similar in length to O. polyacantha. I think we don't know what this one is, and maybe nothing here is O. fragilis.
    Rebutia-minuscula_UBCBG_Cutler_20210609_155158.jpg

    Escobaria vivipara
    Escobaria-vivipara_UBCBG_Cutler_20210609_155316.jpg Escobaria-vivipara_UBCBG_Cutler_20210609_155322.jpg
     
    Last edited: Jun 13, 2021
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  2. Junglekeeper

    Junglekeeper Esteemed Contributor 10 Years

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    Nice. I didn't expect to find a tropical greenhouse at the Garden. What else is growing in there?
     
  3. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    I'm sorry. I have no idea and my agenda is too long when I'm there. I haven't seen half of what Douglas mentioned in his blog yet.
    I think I photographed everything in bloom. Maybe there's a Lewisia there. Everything is raised up to waist level - no big trees. You'll have to go see for yourself. I look forward to your photos. :)
     
  4. Eric La Fountaine

    Eric La Fountaine Contributor Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    These are not tropical species. This is an unheated open cactus house. It provides cover from the rain and frost. There are cactus species found in higher elevations and zones that are exposed to freezing temperatures. They do make a dazzling flower display.
     
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  5. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    A friend I forwarded this to pointed out that the second one is not Opuntia fragilis. Looking these pictures over now I would say it would be the Rebutia with the Opuntia fragilis being the one so labelled. In other words the pictures got switched.
     
  6. Margot

    Margot Renowned Contributor 10 Years

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    Here's my Opuntia fragilis this afternoon - I know for sure it is O. fragilis because it grows wild in this neighbourhood where there are no other cacti. To me it looks more similar to the one labelled Opuntia polyacantha var. polyacantha. Rebutia minuscula seems to have many more and narrower petals although the pads and spines aren't quite the same. Is it possible that neither Opuntia polyacantha var. polyacantha nor Rebutia minuscula as pictured in #1 are actually Opuntia fragilis?

    Opuntia fragilis 12-06-2021.JPG Opuntia fragilis showing pads 06-2021.JPG
     
  7. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    Thank you, Ron! I should have paid more attention to the body of the plant in this case. I have posted the bright red one before as Echinopsis huascha. I definitely did not see that label.

    The pictures weren't switched - I seem to have picked tags that belong to neighbouring plants. In the case of the not-a-Rebutia, the label was lying on the plant.
     
  8. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    Wonderful. Thank you. I have edited my posting.
     
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  9. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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  10. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    Ron, are you recommending that to check on the bit about the length of the spines? It looks like O. fragilis longest spines per areole are 8-24 mm; for O. polyacantha, longest spines are 20-60 mm. Then there is whether the stem segments are easily detached. I'm not testing that. For the rest, by next week, I'd still be looking up words I don't know.
     
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  11. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    The intent with flora style layouts like this is that the characters in the key be used to arrive at a candidate and then the full description of that species be used to confirm it is the right one. So the more of the pertinent features mentioned in the key are checked the greater the likelihood of moving on to the relevant description, arriving at a successful identification.
     
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