Any botanists here?

[PitYak Studios]

One of my non-modelling interests is growing succulents. I have not been able to find out what these two are, so if anyone knows I'd be grateful to hear.



Looks like a fenestraria but leaves end in little warty lumps rather than translucent windows. Doesn't grow fast, but hasn't died yet either.



It looks like a lithops, but if it is it's the only one I've seen with pointed leaves. The windows are translucent, that scabby looking stuff has just appeared in the last few weeks. Hopefully it is about to split. Hopefully it is not about to die.

[PitYak Studios]

If anyone is interested (or just polite enough to pretend to be) I'll post some pics of my others.

[Paul]

The second one is a Lithops (living stone) The wax like covering is normal but i´m not too sure about the brown staining... watering over winter? if so then don´t. Has it had a cold period?
The first looks like it´s a Glottiphyllum, in fact I´m positive it is) Has it flowered ? ...they have yellow dandelion type flowers.
Post away mate....

[Peter]

Nice plants. That second one looks infected. I ask my son. He's interested in this kind of things (plants I mean )

PS: Wrong section . This belongs in the officers mess and not in general. And now we all yell: Moderator

[Paul]

And one other thing...get them out of those plastic pots and into some clay ones.

[PitYak Studios]

Nice plants. That second one looks infected. I ask my son. He's interested in this kind of things (plants I mean )

PS: Wrong section . This belongs in the officers mess and not in general. And now we all yell: Moderator

yes i know, i realised when i came back to look for it! I thought I was posting in officer's mess. too early in the morning!

Then again, it does say for anything hobby related.

[PitYak Studios]

Paul, do you know what species of lithops? I suspected it was but like I say it's the only one like it i've seen and haven't been able to find anything about it. It hasn't been watered over winter, I know a bit about what i'm doing with these, plus it's summer here . I think it's more likely just a disease or parasite or something, it came from very disreputable source, a local company that sells interesting plants but are badly cared for and unidentified. Most of mine have come from there because they are cheap and something of a challenge to bring back to life.

As for the other one that sounds about right. it hasn't flowered recently, but from memory the flowers were like you say, and I think before they open the flower buds were a sort of bulbous cross shape?

[PitYak Studios]

And one other thing...get them out of those plastic pots and into some clay ones.

NO NO NO!

I'll just qualify that; it's probably hotter here than where you are, they don't do too well in clay pots, need a lot more maintenance

[Maurice]

They look like alien lifeforms to me

[zzed]

they look just as they want to say something.. feeed ..me?

[PitYak Studios]

they look just as they want to say something.. feeed ..me?

Haha just wait till I post some pics of my other plant!

[PitYak Studios]

Glottiphyllum does look like a likely candidate, but I still haven't found a picture of one with leaves like mine. maybe it's a hybrid or something?

anyway, here's some more;



I couldn't not buy this. Yes, that says "penis plant". Amusing name aside I really like this one, beautiful sculptural shape, and I particularly the spine arrangement. I'm not a cactus fan, but had to have this one.





Haworthia nigra "nana"



Aloe descoingsii, the smallest of the aloe species.





Aloe boweia, a rare minature aloe



Fenestraria rhopalophylla aurantiaca. One of my favourite non-lithops. Offsets prolifically and I haven't managed to kill any of them yet. Flowers are daisy-like and golden yellow.



Tavarorbea "Red Leopard", a bigeneric hybrid of Tavaresia and Orbea, whatever that might mean. Another favourite of mine, another one that reproduces madly and seems to be completely Phil-proof. Flowers are absolutely amazing, but hasn't produced any this year.



Mixed planting of Crassula and Tavarorbea



Various Lithops species. Challenge: how many plants are in this dish?



At the back is Opuntia microdasys, also known as prickly pear, one of only two cacti I've got (and i wish I didn't, it's a bloody awful thing and I've got so much I don't know what to do with it all). In front of that are two Euphorbia species, E forex on the left and E enopla on the right. At the front are tavarorbea and three Haworthia species.




Yorkshire pudding tins make good planters



I've got more Lithops species than anything else, this one is probably L aucampiae



Pleiospilos nelii varieagata



Euphorbia forex. Looks quite nice when young, then gets progressively uglier. and the spines turn from pink and rubbery to dull brown hard as nails and razor sharp.



A sempervivium, possibly flaming heart. another one that won't stop reproducing.



A faucaria, F lupina I think. Bit of mealy bug infestation, which fortunately only affects this and the opuntia.



Another haworthia. Don't know which species but it grows like a weed.\



Another O microdasys. Those little spines are bastards.



I think this is a Haworthia. Whatever it is it's another member of the long flower spike club.

[PitYak Studios]

And just for zzed,



I'm also branching out into bonsai, this a coprosma

[musketier]

Hey Pityak, very interesting assortment of plants, myself I have always liked cacti unfortunately where i live it doesn't allow them to grow properly, still I try. one question though in your pic 13 you have a group of 6 and the one I'd like the name of is the one in the back left as you look at it from our viewpoint on screen. Thanks (I think I may have had that at one time, nasty spines it has! )

[bilsonius]

I thought at first that the original two photos looked like some of the contents of my fridge - the first used to be a jar of gherkins and the second was a pair of old pork pies.....

[PitYak Studios]

Hey Pityak, very interesting assortment of plants, myself I have always liked cacti unfortunately where i live it doesn't allow them to grow properly, still I try. one question though in your pic 13 you have a group of 6 and the one I'd like the name of is the one in the back left as you look at it from our viewpoint on screen. Thanks (I think I may have had that at one time, nasty spines it has! )

This one?



That's yet another Opuntia microdasys, or prickly pear. yes, very nasty spines. Great grower, so I've got mountains of it, and everyone I know gets one for christmas

Our climate is pretty good for most succulents, fairly warm and not too humid. You can grow a fair few outdoors, but all of these are indoor speciimens. My garden has some pretty outstanding aloe specimens, far too big to try and transplant if I ever move.

[zzed]

And just for zzed,

...[/img]

I think she is smiling at me

@bilsonius - put some pics, don't be shy

[musketier]

yes Pityak that's the one the 'prickly pear' (just seeing it brings back memories of lots of time with small tweezers, 'Ouch!')

[PitYak Studios]

sellotape is better than tweezers.

I came home one day and one of these which had three offshoots coming off suddenly had none. I found the three shoots lying on the floor. Noone had been in the house except my dog. She didn't complain but I hate to think what her mouth must have been like!

[musketier]

That's a good tip I'll have to keep it mind. I think thanks to your post I will get some plants this spring! oh if only it where soon





just the start of the expected 24 inches or 60+cm expected here today. Well I will just keep looking at these plants and think of Spring.

oh pics are fuzzy due to the high wind blowing snow swirling