Originally posted by ecomujeres
| Quote: | Originally posted by mcfez
Not too unusual. There are cactus such as the Candelabra Cactus....that produce leafs. .....I do not know the name of yours in the picture.
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| Quote: | Originally posted by mexitron
Give this man a cigar---you found the right family with the Candelabra---Euphorbiaceae. I'm fairly sure the Genus is Monadenium and probably the
species is M. ritchei
[/quote
Unfortunately people confuse euphorbias and cacti so easily because horticulturalists give euphorbias names like Candelabra cactus! Oy!
FYI:
In Baja, Candelabra cactus, (Myrtillocactus cochal) is a true cactus and lacks leaves. There are a some species of cacti that do actually have
leaves, one of which is found in Baja in the Cape area (Pereskiopsis porteri).
A good rule of thumb: if you see a garden plant that looks like a cactus but has no true spines (spines are thin, bristle-like and sharp; they may
also occur as tiny glochid hairs in tight clusters on the stem which easily detach in your skin) and/or it sprouts leaves, then you are looking at a
Euphorbia. Some species of the Euphorbiaceae (Spurge family) evolved in the deserts of Africa in habitats similar to the deserts of the Americas
where the Cactus family (Cactaceae) evolved separately.
Also, all cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are cacti.
BajaBlanca, sorry but I don't know what species of cactus you have with the yellow flower. Not enough info to even start. But it definitely is a
cactus. The spines and the flower design with many overlapping "petals" are the key clues. |
The Pereskiopsis genus is interesting in that it shows, by having a more sprawling habit, an intermediate form from when tropical vines adapted to
drier climates and became cactii---at least in the Americas...not sure where the xeric Euphorbias evolved from in Africa. |
