3 January 2009
Not an opuntia
Posted by Stuart under: Cacti .
Here’s a strange plant: Schlumbergera opuntioides. It’s basically a Christmas cactus that’s dressed itself up to look like something far meaner – an opuntia.
Each segment is covered with spiny areoles, just like a flat-padded opuntia, but as you can see, the shape of the flower buds gives away the fact that it’s nothing of the sort.
Schlumbergera opuntioides is tropical and likes warmth. I’ve seen 12 centigrade quoted as a minimum winter temperature but mine seem happy with a minimum of 7. Happy enough to flower, anyway!
2 Comments so far...
Julie Says:
4 January 2009 at 4:54 am.
What an awesome Schlumbergera !!! I think I need to find one of these babies!
Stuart Says:
4 January 2009 at 4:19 pm.
You might want to try EPRIC (www.epric.org) – although I expect getting the appropriate phytosanitary certificates might make it a bit expensive. Worth it, though 