Lincolnshire, United Kingdom

This is not really a gardening question but is about houseplants.

I used to have a lovely plant called "a crown of thorns" around thirty years ago. It was a very attractive plant with small leaves and lots of lovely tiny orangey-pink flowers. Its most attractive feature (to me) was its quite straight stem of a most singular shade of grey and the thorns were also that colour.

I bought it at the door from one of those newly released prisoners, who used to do such things, in preference to some over-priced dusters... The pot had a commercially printed label in it with an illustration matching the plant and care instructions (long since lost).
It did live a long time until my wife saw it off...

I would like another but although I have seen illustrations of several varieties none of them look quite like mine - mostly so different I doubt they are even from the same family. The shape, the leaves and the flowers are different, but most of all the stems are not that distinctive grey.

I am beginning to think I imagined it...
Does anyone recognise my description or can offer any advice?

• 10 Apr, 2011