Essex SucculentReview Volume 51 Number 2 June 2014 In this issue Monsters by Chris Coombes A brief history of the genus Mammillaria by Charles Staples A spiral Cactus Crawl Eulychnia castanea by John Watmough See ‘Monsters’ page 4 British Cactus and Succulent Society – Zone 15 Newsletter Editorial Zone 15 Mini-convention Welcome to the first edition of the Sunday 9 March 2014 on-line Essex Succulent Review. I have enjoyed putting it together, The annual Zone 15 Mini-convention company of Paul Hoxey. The plants and I hope you will enjoy reading it. was held at Capel Manor, the usual seen included a fascinating glimpse If you would like to ‘subscribe’ (and venue for Lea Valley Branch’s of Astrophytum caput-medusae have not already told me) just send meetings. almost hidden among the grass and an email to me at undergrowth where it was growing. [email protected] and I Two interesting and diverse tours No wonder it was only discovered as will add you to the subscription list. had been arranged. Andy Young recently as 2001. invited us to a private viewing of An on-line ‘subscription’ is Steve Hammer’s superb collection of Excellent plant sales were provided completely free. You will receive an South African by Stuart Riley (Plantlife) see below, email to notify you when the next plants. After a issue is ready with, initially, a pdf file. quick look at Later I will send a link for you to the slightly download the file yourself. All issues chaotic will be archived at greenhouses http://www.zone15.bcss.org.uk (no need for For the present, for previous any glass in the subscribers who do not have access Californian to the internet, Eddy Harris will sunshine) we continue to produce and distribute a admired a hard copy version, although please number of his note that this will be in greyscale fine plants. only. For details please contact Eddy Andy pointed at 49 Chestnut Glen, Hornchurch, out that Essex, RM12 4HL. everything was grown on the As many of you who read this will top of the bench, no tucking a few although we were not able to have know Eddy Harris has done a shy and retiring haworthias our usual book sales this year as the sterling job of editing the Essex underneath, and the plants all looked date clashed with another event. Succulent Review for many years, extremely well on this treatment. Capel Manor produced its usual and I would like to take this generous buffet and altogether the opportunity to thank him for his Our next expedition was to the convention was a most enjoyable continuing help and support. northern part of Mexico in the day. Essex SucculentReview Zone 15 Events June-August 2014 The Essex Succulent Review is published quarterly in March, Saturday 7 June 11.00am–4.00pm June, September and December. Havering Branch Annual Show: It is available on-line free of North Romford Community Centre, Colliers Row, Clockhouse Lane, charge. Just send an email to Romford RM5 3QJ [email protected] Saturday 14 June 12noon–6.00pm to receive notification of each Southend-on-Sea Branch Show: issue when it is available. United Reformed Church Hall, Kings Road, Leigh-on-Sea SS0 8PP Past issues are archived at Saturday 5 July 10.30am–4.00pm http://www.zone15.bcss.org.uk Waltham Forest Branch Show: Editor Sheila Cude Chingford Horticultural Hall, Larkshall Road, Chingford E4 6PE Address 25 Macleod Road Plant sales from 9.00am London N21 1SW Saturday 26 July 11.00am–4.00pm Phone 020 8340 1928 Zone 15 Annual Show Email Bushukan Bonsai Nursery, Lower Road, Hockley, Essex SS5 5NL [email protected] Also of interest, might be the near-by Zone 6 Annual Show. Suggestions and contributions are always welcome. Please Saturday 7 June 10.30am-4.00pm phone or email first. Pirton Village Hall, High Street, Pirton, near Hitchin, SG5 3PS 2 Acanthocalycium violaceum (Lobivia spiniflora) by John Grourk Acanthocalycium violaceum can grow to be some 60cm tall and 15cm in diameter. This means mine is still a ‘baby’ at only 8.5cm tall and 10cm in diameter. It is growing up rapidly though, having got some 2cm taller and added another 2cm in diameter over the past year. I have had the plant for about two years and it flowered for the first time in 2013 with a flush of six flowers in June, followed by two more in August. Then, in September 2013, it produced a further 13 flowers, shown here. Unfortunately, as with most plants in this group, the flowers only lasted for about three days. After this, the flowers resembled a candle-like shape with the violet colour remaining for some time. A violaceum will not normally flower until it is at least four years old, and it must have bright sunlight to encourage flowering. The blooms will close up when the sun goes in, and also at night. Although my plant was kept in a bright conservatory I still placed it outside in full sun whenever possible. During the summer period I watered roughly every three weeks and added a high potassium feed on three occasions. I do not water from October onwards, and give a cool period during the winter to encourage flowering next year. I What's in a name? In 'The New Cactus Lexicon' 2006 Acanthocalycium violaceum became Echinopsis spiniflora. In 'The New Cactus Lexicon Illustrations' 2013, the genus Lobivia is reinstated (minus some of its previous members) and so E spiniflora became Lobivia spiniflora. Editor Do you have a plant of which you are particularly proud? Perhaps it flowered for the first time this year, or has done exceptionally well. If so I would like to feature it in the Essex Succulent Review. Please let me have some details, together Above: A violaceum in John’s collection, and with pictures (contact details on page 2). Above right: the beautiful flowers Photos: John Grourk 3 Monstersby Chris Coombes OK I’ll admit it. I like things that are a little growth points below it so that it can keep different, a bit weird even. I love those one- this control (known as apical dominance). offs that stand out from the crowd and shout, A monstrose plant results when a genetical ‘Look at me; I don’t conform and really glitch takes place and the blueprint is altered. couldn’t give a damn about being pointed at The exact cause is still unknown so, despite and ridiculed. I‘m going to do things my way’ sending a man to the moon and splitting the As a kid I used to watch horror films. The atom, the best scientists in the world have so more outrageous the monsters were, the far been beaten by these monsters! That is better I loved them. Some things never one of the reasons I find them so fascinating. change and my love for all things strange When the apical dominance is lost, many followed me into the cactus and succulent more growth points will try to take over, the world where I have acquired a nice collection result of which is a much disorganised plant of oddballs. with multiple heads, Fig 1: Cereus For those of a (Fig 1). repandus nervous disposition, Some monstrose and to the purists plants manage to within the hobby, I keep control of a urge you to look away single growth point now for in this, the but produce certain first of several articles other negative on the oddities of the features. These succulent kingdom, I include stunted would like to share growth, loss or with you some of my reduction of ribs, favourite types of losing the ability to monsters. flower and spine So what actually is a suppression, (Fig 2). monstrose plant? Surely a contender for According to the This rare example in my collection is split 50:50 the most negative botanical dictionary it and can’t decide whether to inhibit its spines features on one plant or not! It is possibly a chimera or perhaps is a plant that ‘shows must be the schizophrenic! a loss of symmetry monstrose form of Fig 2: Trichocereus and is lacking a single Lophocereus schottii, bridgesii inermis dominant linear apex’. It is also said that they (Fig 3), which has lost all its spines, the ribs (T lageniformis) exhibit ‘negative features such as the are reduced to random knobbly lumps on the reduction or loss of parts (including leaves, stem and it is incapable producing any spines and ribs)’. functional flowers! What does all of this actually mean? Well, the Each of these negative growth anomalies apical bud (sometimes known as the terminal takes the plant away from its perfected bud) is the main growth point of the plant. blueprint and makes it less able to cope with Within this is the meristem, where countless the rigours of its environment, thus nearly all chemical actions are taking place which lead of these plants quickly perish in habitat. to the plant producing a set number of ribs, a But at times these plants like to mock our certain spine formation and all of its other definitions. Whenever we try to categorise features, each dictated them they do by its genetic something a bit blueprint. These are different, and have honed to perfection by been known to previous generations, produce more vigorous so that the plant is growth, longer spines, perfectly adapted to (Fig 4) and many extra survive in its home Fig 3: Lophocereus ribs and flowers, environment.