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What is it?

hmhb

By Hmhb

Louisiana, United States

I often rescue plants from estate sales/garage sales, some nearly dead, but I get them for free sometimes because they are sitting in a dusty window, in a garage, or abandoned in the flower bed! This one has grown by leaps and bounds, besides cactus, I don't know what it is. I'm adding more photos to my "photo stop" so you can get a better idea. Thanks.




Answers

 

That is beautiful it looks like cactus leaves, does it have spines as well?

22 Sep, 2009

 

Very pretty....I can see a spine.above the bloom to the left.....it looks pretty lethal..:))

22 Sep, 2009

 

It's an Opuntia of some sort. That new flattened stem top right still has the characteristic reduced leaves that will soon drop off. At first I thought Schlumbergia (Christmas Cactus) or Rhipsalis but those tiny reduced leaves are the give away.

As to which species of Opuntia??? It's the largest genus in the Cactus family with if my memory serves me well something like 200 different species give or take. That flower is small too so should narrow it down.

One more thing, if it is an Opuntia, try gently stroking the stamens in the centre of the flower. If it's an Opuntia, (most) have motile stamens that close tightly around the central stigma when gently brushed.

22 Sep, 2009

 

Very pretty whatever it is!

22 Sep, 2009

 

Looks very similar to Queen of the Night cactus, though the flower is smaller................

22 Sep, 2009

 

Pretty certain that it's Opuntia brasiliensis after a little research.

23 Sep, 2009

 

Link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Y-2MbTldR-4DaCaoNQjLtA

23 Sep, 2009

 

Thank you everyone for pointing me in the right direction; mystery is solved. Fractal, you are absolutely correct, and you saved me hours of searching! Much to my amazement, in its' natural environment, it can grow to 80 feet tall; and, I was wondering how I was going to get my little 3-4 foot plant back in the greenhouse. Opuntia brasiliensis, it is! (Brazilian prickly pear)

23 Sep, 2009

How do I say thanks?

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