Cereus Cacti
Cereus jamacaru in late afternoon. C. validus at sunset.
Cereus Cacti:
There are 3 clones of Cereus that I loosly refer to as "Peruvian Cereus", but internet research indicates they may have been seperated by botanists into seperate species, based on their geographic origins. All forms cross freely and the subtle differences displayed in the parents are less distinct in the seedlings. One interesting feature of some seedlings is an aparent "juvenile" and "adult" growth change in the spine pattern. At about 4or 5 feet the spines become much reduced or are absent, as if to avoid some form of herbivore with a limited reach. It is at about this height they begin to flower as well.[Juvenile and Adult growth forms are common in the New Zealand endemic flora]
Click on the pictures above to see the two identified species.
The third form is not as spiny as the other species, and is a slightly more lime green colour. The flower is similar to C. validus, but the fruit is red skinned and has pink flesh.
Feed them!!!
This plant was given a Rhododendron growing medium and watering regime in year 6 repotting season and look at the result!
The cross section of the stem above shows the structure of a cactus stem. This basic structure is common to all cactus species but the size of the respective tissues varies from species to species.