Crested and Monstrose cacti

This week has been a week of getting our plants back into the greenhouses. One bunch that's been outside most of the summer is the crested and monstrose plants. This represents about a third of our collection which we've gathered over the years. Now it's down to getting a few larger plants in under cover, as well as a few miscellaneous flats of succulents. At that point we batten down the hatches in preparation for the winter which is going to be upon us all too soon.

Enjoy your plants!

Rebutia krainziana normal and crested

It's hard to believe these two plants are the same species, but they are. They're both Rebutia krainziana (syn.: R. marsoneri 'krainziana'), but the second is a large old crest of the same. If you didn't know what it was to begin with, the flower would be the only possible clue.

Cactus crest

OK. I've got the name of this crest outside on the deck. It's midnight and I'm ready to get some shut eye, so the name will have to wait. We have the normal and it tends to throw crests fairly often.

Our weather's definitely Fall like, about 10 degrees (F) below what it should be at this time. Oh well.

Copiapoa tenuissima flower

One of the several Copiapoa tenuissima crests or monstrose plants we have in our collection, this one was flowering yesterday, so I'm sharing it with you. These are relatively easy to grow and bloom with regularity in our greenhouse.

Pygmaecereus densilanata crest

Another nice crest which is overgrowing its area is Pygmaecereus densilanata crest. My guess is that this is a species which has been clumped with something else, if it was ever commonly accepted, but in this case it doesn't really matter. Once these plants become crested it's almost impossible to discern what the original plant was, accept for the occasional normal offset. But, just out of curiosity, does anyone know anything about this species? Was it legitimately published and if so, by whom? And where would it be included in the currently more accepted taxonomy? It's not even mentioned in Anderson. Feedback?

Turbinicarpus schmiedickeanus ssp. schwarzii crest

These crests are great performers. The flowers come all at once each year for quite a display. We have several of these and they're all flowering right now.

And a close-up of the flower reveals even more beauty.

Enjoy your plants!