# Stapalia ID and my hoodia



## Galapoheros (Jun 16, 2011)

I was in a greenhouse and a woman there that was cleaning up plant junk on the ground and said, "Here, put these in your pocket."  I wasn't that excited about it, it was 2 or 3 years ago.  But just a couple of days ago I saw a pic in this section, it looks like I have Stapalia plants, cool, but I don't know the species, anybody know the species?  Also here is my one and only Hoodia I grew from a seed, it hasn't bloomed yet.

Stapalia





Hoodia






Also here are a couple of my Cycas petrea grown from seeds, they are pretty cool looking and can get real tall.  I don't think there are very many in the US.


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## zonbonzovi (Jun 16, 2011)

All the Cycas plants up here stay very small...prob. the annual 8 months of rain


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## Bigboy (Jun 16, 2011)

Looks to me like you have two species of stapelia.  I'd guess leendertziae for the ones in the fore and background but no clue as to the one to the right of that photo.  I'm not terrific at identifying these guys though, I've only recently become interested in the genus.  They are incredibly vigorous growers from cuttings with full sun and well drained soils though.


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## Galapoheros (Jun 16, 2011)

It's hard for me to tell and it looks like growing conditions can make the stems look like other species at a glance.  Though I know for sure that they are all the same species because all those in the pic came from that scarred up cutting closest to the camera.  I was guessing Stapelia hirsuta  I think I need to change the soil.  I do have a smaller species in the same genus(I think), it has a small red bloom, somebody gave it too me with no name.  I do remember being in that nursery a long time ago and seeing giant Stapelia blooms not knowing what they were, they were freaky, this is almost certainly that same plant.


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## Bigboy (Jun 16, 2011)

Oh wow, those look worlds different from the _S. gigantea_ that I've grown.  Guess you'll have to get them to flower so we can find out.  As for potting, mix sand, pebbles and just the smallest amount of clay and potting soil.  The soil should be very gritty, almost to the point where you think you need more organic matter.  I've kept them in potting soil with terrible results, no flowers in 3 years and a heavy grit soil like I mentioned above with intense growth and flowers from a cutting in less than 5 months.  Fertilize lightly every once in the early spring and again in the fall before they go dormant.  You should get some flowers before the summer is out if you get them into some good grainy soils.


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## Galapoheros (Jun 16, 2011)

Hmm, OK, I'm going to put them in bigger pots also.  I'm glad to have an idea what they are, lol I didn't have a clue until I saw a pic in a thread at the beginning of this section.


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## atropos (Jun 21, 2011)

I think your Stapelia is S. hirsuta, the plant looks like 1 of the localities I have. Will have a look for you in the greenhouse. Will come back on it.

Your Hoodia could be H. gordonii, don't know, I don't keep any Hoodia ssp.


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## Galapoheros (Jun 21, 2011)

I'm pretty certain the Hoodia is gordonii too, really hope to get seeds from it.  It was the Stapelia I wasn't so sure about.  I was leaning hirsuta also, I remember blooms looking kind of like this in that greenhouse. http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...1&hl=en&biw=1003&bih=596&tbm=isch&um=1&itbs=1


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## atropos (Jun 22, 2011)

It could also be S. grandiflora, I have a plant that looks quite the same. That flower looks like hirsuta, but has wider petals.

I'm opening a thread with my Stapeliads, with also hirsuta, grandiflora and leendertziae.

Think the best is to wait until it blooms  Also have quite a few plants without I.D.

---------- Post added at 11:44 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:03 PM ----------

Here are some pictures to compare the plant. Don't look at the colour because this is chances with the amount of sunlight they get.

Stapelia grandiflora







Stapelia hirsuta







Stapelia leendertziae, still small, but I really don't think your plant is a S. leendertziae.


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## Galapoheros (Sep 7, 2011)

Alright!  I re-potted several weeks ago and it grew a lot, it's going to bloom.  How hard is it to get seeds from this plant after a bloom, almost every time?


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## J Morningstar (Sep 9, 2011)

Can you please tell me what I have? The plant is about 18  years old.


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## J Morningstar (Sep 9, 2011)

Galapoheros said:


> Alright!  I re-potted several weeks ago and it grew a lot, it's going to bloom.  How hard is it to get seeds from this plant after a bloom, almost every time?


I've had mine nearly 20 years and it has NEVER BLOOMED I am so very jealous I could die....well maybe just REALLY jealous.....


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## Galapoheros (Sep 9, 2011)

I still don't know what mine is exactly haha, I don't know much about them.  btw I left a PM for you a while back but I feel like you didn't see it(?), maybe you did, it's just a hunch I had.  I think all you have to do to keep the plant going is to break off stems and pot them.  Strange that big thing has never bloomed.  Mine started after I re-potted it with a little bit diff soil.  A little fertilizer or certain minerals might do it.


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## J Morningstar (Sep 10, 2011)

Well there is tons of growth I can cut off at this point and to try starting a new plant from the cuttings in the way recommended I guess I will just have to see what happens, I really thought I was one of the only people who had a passion for this particular plant...I'm glad to see them appreciated.


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## Galapoheros (Oct 2, 2011)

The bloom buds looked like they were going to fall off.  They wilted and got a lot smaller.  I thought I wasn't watering enough, but then thought I was watering too much.  I quit watering and they came back.  It is going to bloom, they are a lot bigger now, almost a sure thing.  So has anybody dealt with getting seeds?, nobody has answered that question yet.  It would be cool to get seeds.  I want a freak greenhouse some day, these would be members.


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## pavel (Oct 2, 2011)

You're pretty much going to have to wait for blooms to ID the Stap and Hood.  

JM, if your Stap has been growing for 20yrs w/o blooming, I'd recommend starting a few large cuttings or making divisions and start experimenting with the growing conditions you provide once the new plants adjust/take root.  For example increase the amount of light, try giving a dry winter rest or dry summer rest (yes some plants rest over the summer), play around with temperatures, etc.

JM, for your unknown, I'd almost be tempted to guess some sort of Epiphyllum or a relative.  Try checking with these folks -- they're much more knowledgable than myself for cacti ID:
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/cacti/


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## Galapoheros (Oct 2, 2011)

It's why I'm kind of fired up, it was brought up earlier, I will finally know.  But I've been wondering, is there a way to tell by the shape of the flower bud?  Here's a pic in case.  It doesn't matter much though, it's growing fast so I'll plan on posting pics soon unless they fall off for some reason. 


I looked up the seeds of Stapelia, I didn't expect them to have the basic design of the milkweed seed,


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## pavel (Oct 2, 2011)

Galapoheros said:


> I looked up the seeds of Stapelia, I didn't expect them to have the basic design of the milkweed seed,


Same Family


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## Galapoheros (Oct 2, 2011)

Cool, it crossed my mind but didn't bother to look it up.  I notice now that the milkweed around here has a flower design like one of the smelly cacti I have also, it's about to bloom too but I never have been able to get that one to seed.


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## Galapoheros (Oct 10, 2011)

Getting cloooserr.  It rained too, should add some pep to it.







CLOSEEEERRRRRRR!


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## H. laoticus (Oct 10, 2011)

The suspense lol.  I would really like to see that flower now :biggrin:


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## moose35 (Oct 11, 2011)

COME ON FLOWER JUST BLOOM ALREADY....lol





moose


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## J Morningstar (Oct 12, 2011)

pavel said:


> You're pretty much going to have to wait for blooms to ID the Stap and Hood.
> 
> JM, if your Stap has been growing for 20yrs w/o blooming, I'd recommend starting a few large cuttings or making divisions and start experimenting with the growing conditions you provide once the new plants adjust/take root.  For example increase the amount of light, try giving a dry winter rest or dry summer rest (yes some plants rest over the summer), play around with temperatures, etc.
> 
> ...


Thank you so very much for your response. I will take some clippings and do just that. I am moving to a new house and will try to make it even brighter. I don't know when to do the dormancy or for how long. Should I just experiment or is there a typical time for withholding water? 
The jungle cactus is "Dancing in the Dark" and yes a Epiphyllum. Thank you.


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## pavel (Oct 12, 2011)

J Morningstar said:


> I don't know when to do the dormancy or for how long. Should I just experiment or is there a typical time for withholding water?


Dormancies can vary considerably -- and some don't really require any at all.  (My _Huernia zebrina_, for example, doesn't get a dormancy period and it blooms sporadically throughout the year.)  Knowing the actual species would make it easy to check, but with unknowns it would be a matter of experimenting.  Of those cacti and succulents that do require a dormancy, most require one of at least two or three month duration.  During that time water is withheld and small amounts are only given if the plant starts to shrivel.  When active growth begins, more water can be given.

It is quite possible that your problem may just be a light or temperature issue.  So yes, simply giving it more light could do the trick.  Or it could be a combination of these factors.  For example, _Schlumbergera_s (aka Thanksgiving cactus or sometimes labeled as Christmas cactus) are triggered to bloom by a change in temperature coupled with a change in photo-period.  (Some schlums seem to bud up even if only one of these conditions change.)  My schlum is budding up early this year -- most likely a result of two weeks of chilly very overcast/rainy days.



J Morningstar said:


> The jungle cactus is "Dancing in the Dark" and yes a Epiphyllum.


Glad you were able to get an ID.  Now tag that puppy before you forget.  :biggrin:  Btw, though you likely already know this, being jungle cactus, it will generally do best with a free draining media with some humus and quite a bit more water than you'd expect for a cactus. They grow as epiphytes in the rainforests.


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## Galapoheros (Oct 12, 2011)

Looks like S. hirsuta after all(?)




"I checked around that flower.  I'm confused, it's got to be around here somewhere."


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## pavel (Oct 12, 2011)

Looks like it.    So have you put your nose in the flower to enjoy its fragrance?  :sarcasm:

Aw, look at the little maggots.  Couldn't you just squish them?  heh


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## Galapoheros (Oct 12, 2011)

Poor fly babies, it would make more sense it the plant ate them.


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## J Morningstar (Oct 12, 2011)

I would think though if the fly had time to lay eggs your flower is surely pollenated! 
Oh and a very huge congras!


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