Astrophytum asterias

Astrophytum asterias

Monday 31 December 2012

Cactus / asterias

I have not seen rain a while.
We need rain.
The photo is A. asterias.
I think the plant is going to reach a mature age and shows some Hanazono characters.

Sunday 30 December 2012

Cactus / alonsoi

This is a degrafted Turbinicarpus alonsoi.
Alonsoi is in flower many times through spring to autumn.
It seems alonsoi is possible inter-generic hybridization with Ariocarpus.
I will try it in coming autumn.

Saturday 29 December 2012

Cactus / denegrii

Seedlings of Obregonia denigrii grow very slowly.
I bought seeds and sowed on 28/09/2005.
The photo is one of seedlings, around 7 cm diameter.
They started flowering last year.
More than 10 plants have survived and so I have been able to collect seeds from my plants.

Thursday 27 December 2012

Cactus / super kabuto

Super kabutos show various appearances because of frequent crossings in history.
This one shows large fleckings and starfish shape.

Wednesday 26 December 2012

Cactus / Onzuka

Astrophytum myriostigma cv Onzuka rampos were in flower agin.
I did cross pollination.
I have tried to regain numdrs of Onzuka.

Tuesday 25 December 2012

Cactus / myriostigma

This is an Astrophytum myriostigma v nudum cv khoyo.
I bought seeds and sowed on 08/10/2003.
Young seedlings were grafted and derafted  after grow to flowering size.
Khoyo turns body color during juvenil but stops turning body color when the plant was a mature age.
This one is a mature age plant but it shows a hint of khoyo character.

Monday 24 December 2012

Cactus / super kabuto

A super kabuto, a typical starfish shape was in flower yeserday.
The maximum temperature was 42 C' and was hard to go outside of the house in the afternoon.

Sunday 23 December 2012

Cactus / miracle kabuto

The maximum temperature was 35 C' yesterday.
Quite many asterias were in flower in the afternoon.
The photo is one of aserias, miracle kabuto, opened flower in the afternoon.
The forecast maximum temperature of today is 39 C'.

Saturday 22 December 2012

Cactus / fukuryu

I got small number of seeds this year and sowed on 27/07/2012.
I could manage to graft 5 seedlings.
They have grown quite well.
I grafted 2 offsets coming out from one of scions in this morning.
The photo is hakujou fukuryu banjyaku.
Banjyaku is a hybrid of myriostigma x ornatum.

Friday 21 December 2012

Cactus / loricatum

I once collected Gymnocalycium species with strong spines.
It is no longer trying to increase numbers but still remained some species.
The photo is a spegazzinii v loricatum, propagated from seed, sown seed on 16/11/2003.

Thursday 20 December 2012

Cactus / ruri kabuto

I lost 3 flowering size ruri kabutos this year and remained just 3 plants only.
I grafted 8 seedlings to maintain numbers lately.
The photo is a flower of ruri kabuto.

Wednesday 19 December 2012

Cactus / super kabuto

I have realized the germination ratio from super kabuto seeds in this year is not so good.
It may seeds are too old.
I should try very flesh seeds.
I did pollination on this plant and waiting a fruit.

Tuesday 18 December 2012

Cactus / capricorne

This is Astrophytum capricorne, bought 2 plants years ago.
I lost one last year and this one was also very weak but it recoverd in this year.
The flower is lacking of centre orange and just yellow.

Monday 17 December 2012

Cactus / asterias

Own- root Astrophytum asterias propagated from seeds show normal flowers.
Although this one is propagated from seed, shows an abnormal flower.
I can not find any specific reasons.
Since the shape of the stigma is abnormal, I think this plant can not make any seeds.

Sunday 16 December 2012

Cactus / ruti-super

This is a hybrid, Astrophytum asterias cv ruri kabuto x super kabuto which is propagated from seeds coming out a same seed pod of the ruri kabuto posted on 12th December.
The gene of super kabuto shows stronger on this plant.
It is 1st flowering of the plant.

Saturday 15 December 2012

Cactus / Astrophytum hybrid

This is a 1st filial hybrid, senil x super kabuto.
I degrafted last year. It is an own-root plant currently.
There are no spines but shows both parents characters.

Friday 14 December 2012

Cactus / red flower asterias

Although I bought seeds of red flowering asterias many times, only 2 plants are almost red color.
This is one of them. Unfortunately the body of the plant is also very small.

Thursday 13 December 2012

Cactus / reddish flower

This Astrophytum asterias is propagated from seeds which I bought as red flower astrias.
I bought seeds of red flower asterias but  it was hard to get a true red flowering plant.
I assume this one was crossed many times in history and the body of plant is very small.

Wednesday 12 December 2012

Cactus / ruri-kabuto

I tried to make a hybrid, ruri-kabuto x super kabuo.
Seedlings form the crossing show various faces, differnt degree of flecking.
This one is no flecking, similar to mother's appearance.

Tuesday 11 December 2012

Cactus / miracle kabuto

Another asterias cultivar, miracle kabuto were in flower yeserday.
I have tried to increase numbers of miracle kabuto and been collecting a lot of seeds
I did cross pollination with several plants.

Monday 10 December 2012

Cactus / super kabuto

Flowers of asterias came back again yesterday.
I took several photos.
The photo is an Asrophytum asterias cv super kabuto, mixed red flower gene.

Saturday 8 December 2012

Cactus / horstii

A Discocactus horstii was in flower last night. I took the photo in the morning.
It is the harvesting time of Descocactus fruits.
I collected several fruits also in the morning.

Friday 7 December 2012

Cactus / minima

An Escobaria minima was in flower yesterday.
Escobaria is not my favorite genus.
I just keep several grafted and own-root minimas only.
The photo is a own-root plant.

Thursday 6 December 2012

Cactus / horizonthalonius

An Echinocactus horizonthalonius was in flower yesterday.
It was the second flowering in this season.
I kept pollen of another plant in fridge and did pollination by using it.

Monday 3 December 2012

Cactus / aselliformis

Several Pelecyphora aselliformis propagated from cuttings were in flower yesterday afternoon.
It seems they repeat flowerings from spring to summer.
I believe an easy way for increasing numbers of flowering size aselliformis is cuttings.

Sunday 2 December 2012

Cactus / albiflora

This grafted Mammillaria albiflora was in flower yesterday afternoon.
I grafted a small offset 2 years ago.
It was 1st flowering of the plant.

Mammillaria albiflora is in flower early spring normally and this is out of season flowering.
I covered top of greenhouse by 50% shadecloth lately and it may be confused the season.

Saturday 1 December 2012

Cactus / heterochromus

2 of Thelocactus heterochromus f longispinus were in flower in the afternoon.
I did cross pollination.
I propagated both plants from seeds.
I sowed seeds on 31/08/2006.
Several young seedlings were grafted and degrafed when plants were grown to the flowering size.