Sentient Meat

SUCCULENT SUNDAY: Gymnocalycium leeanum, cool as a cucumber

Mr Meat — Mon, 14 May 2012 00:39:55 +0000

You won’t find a blue-flowered cactus—the entirely family Cactaceae famously lacks blue flower pigment. Green cactus flowers, however… while not common, green cactus flowers do exist, for instance on this week’s South American cactus, Gymnocalycium leeanum.

As it matures, this Argentina cactus often forms clumps of several round bodies. Its central spines (outward-facing spines) may be lacking, as in the pictured specimen. The radial spines are held close to the round body, as if ironed flush to the cactus’s outer surface.

Gymnocalycium leeanum flowers range from yellow, yellow-white, or greenish yellow, as in the plant pictured.

Gymnocalycium leeanum, grown and photographed by Mr Sentient Meat

Rebutia neocumingii (Backeberg) D. R. Hunt 1987

Mr Meat — Sun, 06 May 2012 18:11:16 +0000

Bolivian cactus Rebutia neocumingii was known under genus name Weingartia from its description by Backeberg in 1950 until Weingartia was combined under Rebutia by Hunt in 1987. Its flowers can be yellow, orange or red depending on locality. It’s normally solitary and unbranched, though the individual pictured is sprouting additional heads. Typically this species has much longer spines; this plant was obtained as form brevispina. It is about 7.5 cm across; at full growth, it can reach 10cm across and up to 20cm in height.

SUCCULENT SUNDAY: Parodia microsperma, riot of dark orange

Mr Meat — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 00:49:55 +0000

Returning from a month-long hiatus, I worried that many Sentient Meat plants would be dead. Luckily the casualties were few, and many of the survivors have put on noticeable growth in my absence. Since spring is the most active season, many are also now in riotous flower… like today’s Parodia microsperma.

This plant was obtained without a label, and I believed it was Parodia herzogii. Consulting Anderson The Cactus Family and other references, I see this is not wrong, but the accepted name for this type is Parodia microsperma. I also see this cactus has been described under literally dozens of different names, all likely synonyms for this one species.

It has a reputation as a showy plant, and this individual indeed puts on a show. Flowers range from yellow to deep orange (like this one) and even blood-red.

Parodia microsperma and its many synonyms are native to southern Bolivia and northern Argentina.

Hiatus for one more week

Mr Meat — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 06:28:34 +0000

Succulent Sunday has been on hiatus while Mr Sentient Meat is out of the country. Plans are to resume upon returning to Los Angeles. —SM

SUCCULENT SUNDAY: Turbinicarpus valdezianus pseudopectinatus, little Thumbelina

Mr Meat — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 10:33:55 +0000

Turbinicarpus valdezianus is one of the smallest and slowest-growing cactus—small even within genus Turbinicarpus, not known for their tremendous size. The diminutive body is the size and shape of a thimble. The spines are minute, almost microscopic, and flattened against the body in harmless tight formation—more like scales than armament. Flowers are pink, often striped; occasionally white.

Turbinicarpus valdezianus is found in Coahuila, San Luis Potosí, Nuevo León, and Zacatecas.

Turbinicarpus valdezianus showing more of body

Correction: The plant was originally identified as Turbinicarpus valdezianus. A fallen label was discovered, and this plant is the related Turbinicarpus pseudopectinatus.

SUCCULENT SUNDAY: Parodia buiningii, synonym Notocactus buiningii

Mr Meat — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 07:59:25 +0000

This week Parodia buiningii takes us to South America. Each plant is an excuse to learn more about botany and geography, bouncing from continent to continent as the inspiration strikes. A succulent species represents millions of years of adaptation to specific ecological pressures in Mexico or the rest of North America, Africa, Madagascar… or this week, Uruguay and Brazil.

Parodia buiningii is also known by its synonym Notocactus buiningii. (All Notocactus species have been included under the genus Parodia, where they form a distinct clade: a group of related plants with evidence of descending from a common ancestor.)

Parodia buiningii is one of the most handsome members of the group formerly known as genus Notocactus: geometric ribs, glaucous blue-green skin, and needle-sharp spines the color of tortoise shell. This Parodia buiningii has advanced flower buds with characteristic brown wool. They look almost like fuzzy antlers on a young deer or strange rabbit ears. The flowers will be yellow. This individual is probably a few years old and measures approximately 3 inches across.

Notocactus buiningii grown and photographed by Mr Sentient Meat

Which country is it really from, you ask—Uruguay or Brazil? Well, Parodia buiningii is found near the unusual dual-nationality city: Rivera, the capital of the Rivera Department of Uruguay and (Santana do) Livramento, a city in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. In an uncommon arrangement, citizens of either country within the city can cross the border freely. Customs and checkpoints are located outside the city.

Parodia buiningii is reportedly rare in its habitat, the environs of these twin cities, Rivera, Uruguay, and Livramento, Brazil.

Closeup of same Notocactus buiningii grown and photographed by Mr Sentient Meat

SUCCULENT SUNDAY: Stenocactus multicostatus, brain waves with flat spines

Mr Meat — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 08:23:21 +0000

Called “brain cactus”, the genus Stenocactus hails from Mexico. It’s distinguished by its wavy ribs. Also called Echinofossulocactus, this genus varies widely in size, spination, and number of ribs.

Today’s species, Stenocactus multicostatus (“many-ribbed”) enjoys wide distribution in Mexico: Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo Léon, San Luis Potosí, and Zacatecas. True to its name, it seldom has fewer than 120 ribs. Notice the flat, stout central spines.

Stenocactus multicostatus

Within that natural variation, this individual shows flowers typical of stenocactus: short, funnel- or bell-shaped; white with purple-pink midstripe.

Stenocactus multicostatus flowers seen from above

SUCCULENT SUNDAY: Mammillaria pectinifera, millions of millipedes

Mr Meat — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 07:47:39 +0000

Even if you limit yourself to the most seductive cacti from genus Mammillaria, you still have dozens of strange and wonderful plants to choose from. Mammillaria pectinifera (Latin for “comb-bearing”) has such minute, harmless spines that they appear like legs on tiny bugs—reminiscent of the spines on Mammillaria hernandezii (profiled previously). The spine beds are elongated vertically, like so many miniature millipedes marching in tight formation.

Surprisingly, Mammillaria pectinifera is most closely related to M. carmenae (which looks completely different; also profiled on Sentient Meat), M. glassii, M. picta, M. plumosa, and M. prolifera. Together these species plants form a clade, a group of types likely descending from a common ancestor. They differ markedly from each other in size, spines, and other features.

Mammillaria pectinifera, endangered miniature cactus native to Puebla, Oaxaca. Plant grown and photographed by Mr Sentient Meat

My plant is just over an inch in diameter. This is its first bloom under my care. The flowers are an elegant pale pink. Overall the plant is neat and understated in appearance.

Mammillaria pectinifera, same plant viewed close up, plant grown and photographed by Mr Sentient Meat

Mammillaria pectinifera‘s appeal may be its downfall. It has reportedly been collected nearly to extinction within its native Puebla, Oaxaca, Mexico. Consequently, it’s protected under CITES I, the most stringent protocol of international protection.

SUCCULENT SUNDAY: Eriosyce senilis, fancy party hat

Mr Meat — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 06:32:22 +0000

Like last week’s copiapoa, this week’s eriosyce comes from Chile on South America’s arid Pacific coast. Eriosyce senilis ssp. senilis has long, curly white spines resembling a scraggly old beard. It hails from the Rio Choapa valley in the Coquimbo region of Chile.

Eriosyce senilis starting full bloom

This individual has a dark maroon body—about 3 inches wide—which contrasts strongly with the long, white spines. Frilly shocking-magenta flowers emerge like trumpets.

Eriosyce senilis flower closeup

SUCCULENT SUNDAY: Copiapoa tenuissima, spirals of woolly areoles on maroon bodies

Mr Meat — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 09:01:16 +0000

February, 2012, is too mild in Southern California to be called “the dead of winter”. While some plants have slowed down drastically, others have reawakened and are pushing new flower buds. My Copiapoa tenuissima is pictured in full bloom with yellow flowers sharply contrasting against the dark maroon body.

In early February, the most active cacti and succulents are plants from regions with winter rainfall (or fog), typically near western coasts. Copiapoa tenuissima follows this general rule since it comes from around Chile’s Pacific Ocean (western) port city of Antofagasta.

Look at the 10 or 11 new heads branching off from the central body. These can be re-rooted and grown as new plants, though it takes a while for a detached head to grow new roots.

The currently accepted name is Copiapoa humilis subspecies tenuissima, since the original description of Copiapoa tenuissima was invalid. I’m mildly dissatisfied with this classification for sentimental reasons: Copiapoa humilis is a rough and lumpy species which grows fast and messy. By contrast, this Copiapoa tenuissima seems to be rather elegant.