"Fat Plants" : cacti,succulents, caudiciforms, whatever..

[Carlo]

I'm in the C&S club too...have grown many, photographed, written, and lectured about them...and love them all--the weirder the better. We'll see how they do in the new space.

Most have been grown under lights and in windowsills where I've had a modicum of success. I'm probably most fond of my caudiciforms--fatties with interest all year round (and things many growers, even of cacti, haven't seen before...).

[pel1]

maggiepie,

I may be without a computer for a few days, meanwhile here I my initial thoughts on your plants (numbered with no.1 your first, or top image)

1-Graptopetalum paraguayense
2-Cereus species-possibly peruvianus
3-sedum species?-probably notone of the hardy kinds!
4-Kalanchoe species
5-Echinocactus Grusonii
6-The white plant on the left is Atrophytum Myriostigma, then L-R, Mammilaria species, Cereus species? and Haworthia species
7-possibly pilosocereus species?
8-Haworthia species
9-clockwise from top left, Haworthia Attenuata, Notocactus Magnificus, Echinofossulocactus species (with a false straw flower that should be removed before it rots!),  Haworthia Attenuata.
10-same as 9!

sorry to be a bit vague about some species, but somewhere out there will know more!

Hope this helps for now, Google these name for confirmation.
regards, James

[maggiepie]

Thanks, James, I think that's a great start.
Hope you aren't having computer problems.

[krisderaeymaeker]

Nice cacti and succulents !   The Frithia is fantastic! Never grow them that size...
Please go on like that .

[Lesley Cox]

Some lovely and different things there. I really like the thought of a fairy elephant and he has delightful feet.

[cohan]

At last Cohan, you have revealed your secret horde - and what a sight, I've never see cacti flowering so well and the red flower is gorgeous but the light pink is very pretty too; almost like a waterlily as it opens. It's interesting to hear how they will develop and grow...the first plant I was ever given by my Mother was an Aloe and they have been firm favourites all my life since.  Can't wait to see some more of your gems.

thanks robin--there are some nice little aloes that can grow in a 10-16cm pot and flower regularly indoors with good (not perfect) light; i'll try to dig up old pics, my real flowerer (as opposed to those grown just for leaves) is overdue for repotting (by several years!) and not fit to photograph..
as far as the cacti, hopefully some of our members who grow in greenhouses or outdoors will show some--many of these can be covered with bunches of flowers..

[cohan]

1-Graptopetalum paraguayense
2-Cereus species-possibly peruvianus
3-sedum species?-probably notone of the hardy kinds!
4-Kalanchoe species
5-Echinocactus Grusonii
6-The white plant on the left is Atrophytum Myriostigma, then L-R, Mammilaria species, Cereus species? and Haworthia species
7-possibly pilosocereus species?
8-Haworthia species
9-clockwise from top left, Haworthia Attenuata, Notocactus Magnificus, Echinofossulocactus species (with a false straw flower that should be removed before it rots!),  Haworthia Attenuata.
10-same as 9!
regards, James

i'd about agree with these
1-could also be a hybrid which are really common in these interbreedable genera-graptopetalum, echeveria, pachyphytum, sedum etc
2-this is a popular cereus cultivar i cant remember the name of--stays shortish and makes a big clump
3-yes, mexican sedum, nussbaumerianum, or there's another species similar..
4-i'd say senecio or the sister genus kleinia; try this site:
http://www.lapshin.org/succulent/senec-l.htm
haworthias can be tricky, since it has been asserted (not without debate) that nearly all haworthias in north america (if not from wild seed) are hybrids...lol..certainly the regular commercially available ones are suspect, and i dont bother trying to name mine; still its fun to look-there are other good websites, but this one is really easy to navigate:
http://haworthia.com/
mammillarias are also tricky, just because there are a bazillion species and forms; in some cases you may have to wait for flowers, though other species are distinct enough;
http://www.mammillarias.net/
yours have been underlit, as you probably know, but introduce them slowly to more light so the tips dont burn; the straw flowers will come off, but do it slowly as they can pull off spines and wool--overtime sun will weaken them, if you are that patient;
personally, i would not grow the haworthias in the same pots as cacti, they can survive, but ideally do not have the same watering schedule--the cacti are spring through fall watering, most haworthias prefer a rhythm more like: dry(ish) for about 6 weeks in the dimmest part of winter, water late winter through early summer, dry for about 6 weeks during the hottest months (this is important for many species as they re-grow roots at this time) then water fall till midwinter rest; bright enough light so as to have some colour other than mid green , but not quite as much light as the cacti, for most species..
7-i agree with pilosocereus; i think you have these indoors so it wont matter, but the piloso will be a bit more tender temperature wise than some others, coming from warm parts of brasil..

[cohan]

carlo- i agree there are a lot of really odd and cool caudiciform plants (basically fat stems, for those not familiar with the term--functionally, xerophytic plants with swollen stems or swollen roots which can be raised to be visible-these plants are not a family, but rather a series of adapatations occurring in many unrelated families, ranging from tiny tuberous things to giant trees)
hopefully you will share some of yours here

like james, i come from a succulent direction to an interest in cape bulbs, but then what i am interested in is not just pretty garden flowers, but cool and weird  little plants with interesting leaves... still not making much progress at getting any...lol
-i did get a resend on last year's awful shipment of SA seed, and have, among others, a couple of single leaf Ornithogalums to try..

[Lesley Cox]

caudiciform plants (basically fat stems, for those not familiar with the term

I hope there is no implication here that certain Forum members could be termed "caudiciform."
 

[cohan]

caudiciform plants (basically fat stems, for those not familiar with the term

I hope there is no implication here that certain Forum members could be termed "caudiciform."
 

lol--well, maybe that would be a nice way of putting it? " I am not overweight, thank-you, I am simply caudiciform!" bet they wouldnt have a comeback!

[Carlo]

Oh Lesley...you didn't have to go THERE....

[pel1]

cohan - "cool and weird" about sums up most of my favourite plants! Species pelargonium, cape bulbs, caudiciforms, pterocactus, tylecodon, etc, etc. great to have a thread to share them.

[cohan]

cohan - "cool and weird" about sums up most of my favourite plants! Species pelargonium, cape bulbs, caudiciforms, pterocactus, tylecodon, etc, etc. great to have a thread to share them.

carl--you know lesley always has to go there

james--looking forward to seeing your plants--pellies are another fascination of mine--but havent grown any of the geophytes yet; there was a fascinating article on Sarcocaulon (Pelargonium cousin ) in the last Penroc newsletter
http://www.penroc.co.za/news.html

[Maggi Young]

That Penroc link is great,Cohan,  thanks!

[maggiepie]

Cohan, thanks for the links as well as the information re cactus and haworthias shouldn't be in the same container.
I just fell in love with Senecio citriformis, from your first link.
I can see why people can get into collective mode with these Fat Plants.