Home | E-mail | Plant files | Mail Sale Catalogue | Links | Information | Search

All the information and photos in cactus art files are now available also in the new the Enciclopedia of Cacti. We hope you find this new site informative and useful.

 

Sclerocactus glaucus forma cristata

CACTUS ART
NURSERY

Cultivation and Mail Sale
of Cacti and Succulents.

 


Sclerocactus glaucus SB1479 forma cristata
(Photo taken during the resting phase: the spines are all whitish)
 

.

A crest grafted on Opuntia compressa ( The new spines in spring show the bright tones of adult plants)
 


Spines (adult form)


Juvenile form


Advertising



 

Family: Cactaceae (Cactus Family)

Scientific name:  Sclerocactus glaucus
(J. A.Purpus ex K. Schum.)) L. Benson
Published in: Cact.
&Succt. J. (US) 38:53, 1966
forma cristata

Conservation status: Listed in CITES appendix 1.

Origin Garden origin (Nursery produced cultivar)
 

Description: The typical Debeque form of Sclerocactus glaucus   is a a ball cactus with a squat, ovoid or  globular shaped green or powdery blue coloured stems.  They have 8-15 ribs and the rib is sometime tuberculous 4--30 cm tall, 4-9 cm in diameter; Spines: (0 or) 1 to 3 generally characteristic unhooked central spines, the lower ones brown, the upper ones white 1-3 cm long,; 6 to 8 radials, 5 mm long. Some specimens lack central spines or have central spines which are hooked. Red nectar glands are found above each areole.
The crested form is very rare and nice..
 

 



Adult form

 

Cultivation:   It is a relatively easy plant to grow, both grafted or on its own roots. During the summer it is best to keep the plants outside, where the temperature can rise to over 30 C with no harm to the plant.  Furnish good drainage and use a an open and free draining mineral compost that allows therefore roots to breath. They should be kept almost completely dry during the winter months. From March onwards the plant will begin to grow, and watering should be increased gradually until late May, when the plant should be in full growth.
Water regularly during the summer, so long as the plant pot is allowed to drain and not sit in a tray of water.  During hot weather you may need to water the plants more frequently, as long as the plant is actively growing.  From late September watering should be reduced, to force the plant to go into a state of semi-dormancy.  By October you should be back in to the winter watering regime.
It needs full sun, avoiding only the harshest summer sun.  If kept too dark, plants may become overly lush and greener, and could be prone to rot, due to over-watering.
Feeding may not be necessary at all if the compost is fresh.  Then feed in summer only if the plant hasn't been repotted recently.  Do not feed the plants from September onwards, as this can cause lush growth, which can be fatal during the darker cold months.  Grown specimens resist to -20°C for a short time.

Propagation: By vegetative propagation grafting or stem cuttings from adult plants.

Photo of conspecific taxa, varieties, forms and cultivars of plants belonging to the sclerocactus glaucus complex (This Taxon has several of synonyms ( like many other cacti) whit controversial varieties and subspecies and comprises different forms, but where each form is linked to others by populations of plants with intermediate characteristics):

 

Photo gallery: Alphabetical listing of Cactus and Succulent pictures published in this site.

Photo gallery SCLEROCACTUS

Home | E-mail | Plant files | Mail Sale Catalogue | Links | Information | Search

All the information and photos in cactus art files are now available also in the new the Enciclopedia of Cacti. We hope you find this new site informative and useful.