Astrophytum asterias

Astrophytum asterias

Wednesday 27 December 2017

Cactus / castanea

I tried to take a photo of castanea's flower but it finished without opening.
Frailea catanea is a self-fertile cactus and forms seeds without opening flower quite often.
This one grows larger than standard form.
The current size is 5 cm in diameter.

Tuesday 26 December 2017

Cactus / strobiliformis

A pelecyphora strobiliformis was in flower.
I dgrafted and rooted this one.
The rooting of strobiliformis is also quite easy.

Monday 25 December 2017

Cactus / Onzuka

A matured Astrophytum myriostigma cv Onzuka was in flower.
This one is the oldest Onzuka in my place.
I bought seeds and sowed in 2005.
Young seedlings were grafted and degrafted in 2007.
This is one of them.


Sunday 24 December 2017

Cactus / red flowering asterias

A red flowering asterias was in flower.
I bought seeds from a local seed supplier and sowed in 2007.
I assume seeds came from Europe originally.
It is a mature plant but the body is just 5 cm in diameter.

Saturday 23 December 2017

Cactus / asterias

I can not say this is a standard asterias because many aserias were mixed various forms in history but I think it is almost.
The shape is quite flat.
I sowed seed in 2003.


Friday 22 December 2017

Cactus / super kabuto

A super kabuto was also in flower.
This one has started to show the character of "Hanazono".
I will change the name to "Hanazono-super kabuto" soon.

Thursday 21 December 2017

Cactus / miracle kabuto

Many asterias were in flower in the afternoon.
The photo is one of them, miracle kabuto.
This shows a typical miracle kabuto's appearance.
It is 13 cm in diameter.

Wednesday 20 December 2017

Cactus / aselliformis

One of  pelecyphora aselliformis was in flower yesterday.
This one is propagated an off-set cutting/rooting.
The rooting of pelecyphora is not difficult.
Since seedlings of pelecyphora can not make thick body, I use this method.

Monday 18 December 2017

Cactus / loricatum

A gymnocalycium spegazzinii v loricatum was in flower in the afternoon.
I bought seeds and sowed in 2003.
Spine length of this species are varied but this one has short spines.
The flower color is quite attractive.



Saturday 16 December 2017

Cactus / minima

A grafted Escobaria minima was in flower.
I got a small off-set and grafted on a stock.
I tried to root some off-sets but it seems the rooting is not easy.

Friday 15 December 2017

Cactus / ornatum

An other Gymunocalycium, spegazzinii v ornatum which has strong spines was in flower.
I bought seeds and sowed in 2004.
The current size is 15 cm in diameter.


Thursday 14 December 2017

Cactus / vatteri

A gymunocalycium vatteri was in flower.
I bought seeds and sowed in 2004.
The name tag was "single spine super-vatteri".
Only 3 plants have survived.


Wednesday 13 December 2017

Cactus / horizonthalonius

An echinocactus horizonthalonius v nicholii was in flower.
This one was grafted but I degrafted it in September this year.
I have just one plant of the species.


Tuesday 12 December 2017

Cactus / red flowering asterias

An own-root red flowering asterias was in flower.
I tried to make body larger but ----
All red flowering asterias in my place are very small.

Monday 11 December 2017

Cactus / ruri kabuto

One of ruri kabutos posted the photo on 9th was in flower.
I normally remove flowering buds on these size of asterias to encourage the growing speed of body but I remained them in this time.


Sunday 10 December 2017

Cactus / strobiliformis

A pelecyphora strobiliformis was in flower yesterday afternoon.
It was 2nd flowering in this season.
This one is propagating from an off-set/rooting.
This species is easy to root.

Saturday 9 December 2017

Cactus / ruri kabuto

Seedlings of ruri kabuto have pushed flowering buds up.
I sowed seeds in 2012.
Only 2 matured ones have survived and I have tried to increase numbers of this species.


Tuesday 5 December 2017

Cactus / red flowering hanazono kabuto

An other 2nd filial red flowering hanazono kabuto was in flower.
This one has a red style which is the evidence of true red flower.

Monday 4 December 2017

Cactus / mexicana

A geohintonia mexicana was in flower yesterday afternoon.
A small off-set was grafted and degrafted later.
The flower is small.

Sunday 3 December 2017

Cactus / asterias

Many asterias were in flower lately.
I keep asterias cultivars only in this small greenhouse in 3.5 m x 5.5 m area.

Friday 1 December 2017

Cactus / red flowering hanazono kabuto

This young scion is 2nd filial red flowering hanazono kabuto which is (hanazono kabuto x red flowering asterias) x red flowering asterias.
Since the flower of 1st filial showed yellow stripes, I crossed over red again.
This one is just 1 year old and so it has not shown the character of hanazono yet.

Wednesday 29 November 2017

Cactus / super kabuto

The forecast of today's maximum temperature is 38 'C.
It will be very hot in the afternoon but none can change anyway.
An other super kabuto was in flower.

Tuesday 28 November 2017

Cactus / caput-medusae

This species was very popular because it was new but it is no longer.
I got seeds and grafted young seedlings but I dislodged all in this spring.
Own-root plants have still been remained.

Monday 27 November 2017

Cactus / horstii

A discocactus horstii was in flower.
Since the top of growing point is damaged, flowers come out unusual points.
Flowers of discocactus come out from the top normally.

Sunday 26 November 2017

Cactus / red flowering asterias

Several red flowering asterias were in flower.
The photo is one of them.
They have quite small bodies, in 65 mm square pots.

Saturday 25 November 2017

Cactus / Astrophytum hybrid

A 1st filial astrophytum hybrid, senile x super kabuto was in flower.
This type of hybrid tends  to be a small body normally but this one is not.
The body is 14 cm in diameter.


Friday 24 November 2017

Cactus / super kabuto

I bought seeds and sowed in 2005.
The name tag said "Tiger super kabuto".
Several plants have survived.
The photo is one of them.

Thursday 23 November 2017

Cactus / super kabuto

It was a hot day yesterday but we could see some rain in the evening.
Many asterias were in flower in the afternoon yesterday.
The photo is one of them, a super kabuto.

Wednesday 22 November 2017

Cactus / miracle kabuto seedlings

I sow seeds of miracle kabuto every year.
The photo is seedlings sown seeds in 2012.
I have 120 seedlings in total sown seeds in the year.
They have reached the flowering age but I remove all flowering buds to encourage the growing speed of body.

Tuesday 21 November 2017

Cactus / armatum

A gymnocalycium spegazzinii v armatum sp nova was in flower.
I once collected gymnocalycium with strong spines.
It is no longer but some of them have still been remained.

Monday 20 November 2017

Cactus / hanazono kabuto

A hanazono kabuto was in flower.
I bought seeds and sowed in 2005.
Several young seedlings were grafted when they were 1 year old and degrafted later.
This is one of them.
I assume this size is the maximum for this plant, 13 cm in diameter.

Sunday 19 November 2017

Cactus / asterias

An astrophytum asterias was in flower.
This one is quite old and elongated.
Flowers have come out from abnormal location.

Thursday 16 November 2017

Cactus / spegazzinii

An other Gymnocalycium, spegazzinii v loricatum was in flower in the morning.
I bought seeds and sowed in 2003.
Although it was same seed batch, cacti show various spine length.
This one has short spine.


Sunday 12 November 2017

Cactus / monvillei

Gymnocalycium have been in flower.
The photo is one of them, monvillei v horridispinum.
As shown on the name, this should have thicker spines than standard one.
The color of flowers seems a bit different from standard one.
I bought seeds with this name but I am not sure.

Saturday 11 November 2017

Cactus / strobiliformis

A pelecyphora strobiliformis was in flower.
This one was propagated from an off-set/rooted.
The rooting of this species is not difficult.

Friday 10 November 2017

Cactus / horizontharonius

An echinocactus horizontharonius was in flower.
This one was degrafted with a short stock.
This species open flowers on a very hot day.


Thursday 9 November 2017

Cactus / alonsoi

The species of turbinicarpus alonsoi is a small cactus.
I have propagated them from seeds.
An alonsoi in a 5 cm square tube was in flower.


Wednesday 8 November 2017

Cactus / Astrophytum hybrid

This abnormal cactus is an astrophytum hybrid.
Both of body color and shape are abnormal.
Seed name was fukuryu banjyaku but I am not sure.
I have not seen the flower yet.

Tuesday 7 November 2017

Cactus / kikkou

An astrophytum myriostigma cv kikkou was in flower.
This one is actually also mixed khoyo gene.
The plant is still very young but it has sown kikkou character.

Sunday 5 November 2017

Cactus / miracle kabuto

3 matured miracle kabutos were in flower.
The photo is one of them.
The size is 12 cm in diameter, relatively small.

Saturday 4 November 2017

Cactus / super kabuto

An other super kabuto was in flower.
The location of the flower is unusual.
It may be mixed hanazono's gene.

Friday 3 November 2017

Cactus / super kabuto

A super kabuto was in flower.
The color of flowers are pinkish.
I did not intend to make this color but this one shows pinkish color.

Thursday 2 November 2017

Cactus / asterias

An old asterias was in flower.
The shape of body has turned to a typical old asterias appearance.
I sowed seed in year 2000.


Tuesday 31 October 2017

Cactus / hanazono kabuto

A hanazono kabuto was in flower.
This one shows a typical hanazono character, very thick flecking.
The size is 14 cm in diameter.

Monday 30 October 2017

Cactus / fukuryu hakujou banjyaku

An astrophytum hybrid, fukuryu hakujou banjyaku was in flower.
Banjyaku is a hybrid of ornatum x myriostigma.
I got seeds from my friend and grafted seedlings on Pereskiopsis stocks.
A 2 years old scion was degrafted and rooted.

Sunday 29 October 2017

Cactus / Onzuka

An astrophyum cultivar, Onzuka ranpo gyoku was in flower.
This is one of my favorite cultivars developed by Mr Onzuka years ago.
It is 10 cm in diameter currently.

Saturday 28 October 2017

Cactus / horstii

A discocactus horstii was in flower early in the morning.
This one has a short grafting stock which is called "dai-tuki oroshi".
The grafted cacti will have a shorter life compared to a own root ones.
I hope this one to get a long life.

Friday 27 October 2017

Cactus / red flowering asterias

A red flowering asterias was in flower.
This one is the base plant of red flowering asterias in my place.
I assume the original seed came from Europe.
Unfortunately the body is quite small.


Thursday 26 October 2017

Cactus / super kabuto

An other super kabuto, both body and flowers are normal was in flower.
One flowering bud has come out from abnormal location.

Wednesday 25 October 2017

Cactus / super kabuto

A super kabuto was in flower.
This one shows a typical character of super kabuto, large flecking.
I think the shape of flowers is bit unusual.