Gymnocalycium borthii fa B089

Second crop of flowers this year and they seem to be massive!

Gymnocalyicum buenekeri

Flower out today.

Gymnocalycium ambatoense

A first flowering for Gymnocalycium ambatoense. Another 2012 National Show purchase.

Gets lumped in with G. oenanthemum - but I am not sure about that because they have red flowers.

Bit average this one I am afraid.

Gymnocalycium simplex

Gymnocalycium simplex - I got this from the BCSS National Show in 2012 and this is the first time it has flowered. I can't find it in Mr Charles' book but as it came from Abbey Brook and purports to be from the National Collection I assume it is proper.

Maybe someone knows?

Anyway - one of the things I like about it is that the spines are two colours - look:

I suspect therefore it is G. bicolor?

Gymnocalycium eytianum

JULY 2015

This years flowers

JUNE 2014

So now the flowers are out - short with a deep red throat. This means it is G. pflanzii (but I am going to carry on calling it eytianum!)

Gymnocalycium mihanovichi v stenogonum

Love the stripes on Gymnocalycium mihanovichi v stenogonum. Look how it can't decide to grow buds or offsets.

Gymnocalycium spegazzinii bayrianum var. brevispinum

AUGUST 2015

Here it is now in bud and flower:

JUNE 2014

Very pleased to take delivery of this spegazzinii, or should I say "le spegazzinii" as this has come from France via eBay.

Look at the size of those spines wrapping around 3 or four ribs in one go - fantastic!

Gymnocalycium spegazzinii VS79

The spegazziniis are my favourite gymnos. There are so many different types. This one has a green body with pale spines. I like the pinkish hue to the new spines as they grow. 

Gymnocalycium chiquitanum

Gymnocalycium chiquitanum - I have had this for a couple of years now and it is coming into bud for the first time.

I like Gymnocalycium chiquitanum because it is a fresh pale green colour like a nice apple.

Gymnocalycium borthii fa B089

Gymnocalycium borthii - a variety of G. gibbosum. Slower growing with lovely pink flowers. This plant has a dark body and dark spines with large pinkish flowers.

A burst of early sun this year meant a number of buds dried and aborted, so here it is flowering last year:

Gymnocalycium uruguayense

Gymnocalycium uruguayense is one of my favourites and I have had it for over 30 years. I like the way the spines fold themselves back onto the body of the plant and I like the large yellow flowers.

This plant is grown from a pup a few years ago. Here is the main plant:

 



Sometimes the old heads will stop growing for a few years. The offsets tend to come up under the soil and are sometimes quite poorly formed. Once they get some light they will grow fine. I have taken several off over the years.

I would like to get a pink flower version but have not seen one for sale. Let me know if anyone finds one!

Gymnocalycium weissianum

This is Gymnocalycium weissianum in flower. I like the soft pink hues to the flowers and strong curly spines. Also known as G. hossei - I tend to keep the name on the original label unless it is just wrong.

Gymnocalycium gibbosum v. fenellii

G. gibbosum v. fenellii in fruit. Will I collect and grow the seeds? No.

Gymnocalycium castellanosii ssp bozsongianum

Gymnocalycium castellanosii ssp bozsongianum - I like the really long upward pointing spines on this. I think it has longer and more upward pointing spines than a regular G. castellanosii.

The flowers are a bit of a let down on this one, a rather insipid pale pink. 

Gymnocaycium nigriareolatum

G. nigriareolatum - it gets black areolatums when they go mouldy in their natural habitat. I would rather that mine didn't go mouldy. I like the chunky ribs that remind me of a big old orange.

Gymnocalycium saglionis

Big old G. saglionis - I have had this for over 30 years, grows slow, often goes to sleep for a couple of years and then wakes up and flowers. So spiny the flowers hardly open.

Gymnocalycium armatum

Here is a young G. armatum. I like the really long spines that stick up.


Is it the same as G. cardenasianum? Well, here is a similar aged cardensianum. I guess the variation is in the spination. Let's see what happens when they grow up.

Gymnoocalyium eytianum

This poor old chap - bought under the name Gymnocalycium eytianum has the indignity of being noted in Mr Charles' book as "of uncertain attribution since the original description includes elements of two taxa" Well, really! It could be G. marsoneri  (don't think so) or G. pflanzii.

It's just come into bud for the first time so let,s see what the flowers are like. It is/was a really nice symmetrical plant and as soon as you repot it, it grows some new ribs and messes itself up. Still, really nice curved spines with dark tips.

Gymnocalycium montanum

Another plant to have fun with names - G. montanum can be called G. carminathum v montanum which in turn is G. oenanthemum. Whatever. Hopefully it will have nice red flowers when it grows up.

Gynmocalycium glaucum KFF1248

G. glaucum - Mr Charles says they have a reputation for being difficult to grow and are very slow. This will be my second attempt to keep one alive.

 



This is the old one from a few years ago.

Gymnocalycium riojense ssp paucispinum v guasayense KP297

A nice batch of new plants have arrived. G. riojense may be G. bodenbenderianum. It has a dark body and dark spines which is good enough for me.

Gymnocalycium erinaceum R726b

The thing I like about this Gymnocalycium erinaceum is its long wavy messy petals - it simply doesn't care about being neat and symmetrical which is a little unusual for a gymno. They will last well over a week. The plant itself is, I am afraid, rather dull. It has an offset on its side that doesn't really want to grow much.

Gymnocalycium buenekeri

Like a big fat green bum. May also be called G. horstii buenekeri. I grew this as a pup from a large old plant that is no longer with us. Please to see this now has pups of its own (always worth taking a couple off in case the worst happens). Just coming into bud - a bit too much sun at this stage and the buds dry out before the flower comes - but looking good so far this year.

Gymnocalycium berchtii

Dark body, black spines - what could be better! Gymnocalycium berchtii. I had this one for about a year now, small, very slow growing but happy to flower.

Gymnocalycium spegazzinii ssp densiflorum KFF1301

A new arrival this week - Gymnocalycium spegazzinii ssp densiflorum KFF1301 (good old eBay). G. spegazzinii are my favourite gymno - not least because there are so many different types. I have to say that I prefer the 7 spinners to the 5 spinners - this little fellow looks like it will have 5s.

Gymnocalycium gibbosum ssp radekii JPR70/157

New in this spring and purchased under the name Sp JPR 70/157 which may be G. radekii or G gibbosum ssp radekii. Who knows? Anyway this small plant has a wonderful almost sepia tinged flower with a dark body and dark spines.

Gymnocalycium multiflorum x ritterianum

Gymnocalycium multiflorum x ritterianum has a lovely shiny body with long spines. I suspect this has the longest spines of all my gymnos. It probably should be called G. monvillei.

Gymnocalycium quehlianum

Gymnocalycium quehlianum - grew this from seed over 30 years ago so it has been through a few campaigns. I actual think that the quehlianums are the most boring of the gymnos but I have a soft spot for this old chap.

Gynmocalycium multiflorum

Gymnocalycium multiflorum - again probably should be called G. monvillei. I have had this plant for a number of years. It tends to loose its roots and stop growing but is quite happy to flower every year.