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  Selenicereus urbanianus forma mostruosa CACTUS ART
NURSERY

Cultivation and Mail Sale
of Cacti and Succulents.

 


This is a MONTROSE form that originates in its regular form from Cuba, Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Marvellously bizarre plant for any collection of oddities. 
 

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Propagation: by cuttings rootted in moss as an epiphyte.


 

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Family: Cactaceae (Cactus Family)

Scientific name:  Selenicereus urbanianus (Gürke & Weing.) Britton & Rose

Origin & Habitat:  Selenicereus urbanianus is an inhabitant of the dump forest of Cuba, Haiti and Dominican Republic, the monstrous form is probably a mutation originated in nursery cultivation.

Conservation status: Listed in CITES appendix 2.

Common English Names include: "Sausage Cactus", "Monstrous Night-blooming Cereus", " Monstrous Queen of the Night"

Synonyms:

  • Cereus urbanianus
  • Selenicereus maxonii
  • Cereus paradisiacus
  • Cereus roseanus
  • Selenicereus paradisiacus

 

Description: Selenicereus urbanianus forma mostruosa is a sport of the Cuban epiphyte clambering species with spineless swollen "sausage" stems in linked ( extruded ) sections that twists and turns as it grows (rather than with 4-5 angles joints as in the standard form) sometime with aerial roots, stems usually light green but occasionally turn purple throughout
Flowers: White nocturnal up to 20-30 cm long, but the flowers buds usually abort, and it is very rare to see a fully developed flower. When it forms flower buds it shouldn't be too dry, because these buds grow fast and need enough water to develop. A negative detail about the flowers is that they're only open a few hours at night, from about 9 pm till about 3 am the next morning, being faded at dawn. The fragrance of these flowers isn't very strong, and a bit indefinable. It comes closest to cocoa-powder.
Blooming season: Flowers in late spring or early summer, only blooms one night a year. The buds, grows slowly at first, but very fast in their last few days.

 

 




Cultivation: An easily cultivated, fast growing epiphyte or lithophytic plant. Needs a compost containing plenty of humus and sufficient moisture in summer (though quite adaptable) it can be also cultivated on split bark like Monstera. The plant is quite resistant to drought condition, but shouldn't dry out totally otherwise it will turn purplish brown and look unpleasant. Too much fertilizer will cause a lot of lush growth at the expense of flowers. Should not be kept under 5º C in winter (but can tolerate temperature as low as -5° C for short period if completely dry). Perform best if grown in full sun. Extra light in the early spring will stimulate budding. Suited for hanging pot The adventitious roots -- those wiry white things -- are a good indicator of whether or not it's satisfied with the amount of water it's getting. They absorb ambient moisture and if the soil is too dry, they will reach out to grab as much moisture from the air as they need. So don't prune them off because you consider them unsightly.
The plant can be grown inside, but needs enough room - it will become big, producing long stems, that have to be led along a lattice or rolled-up like a garden-hose, really. In nature it climbs into trees. Older plants in the greenhouse buds freely.

Home | E-mail | Plant files | Mail Sale Catalogue | Links | Information | Search

All the information and photos in cactus art files are now available also in the new the Enciclopedia of Cacti. We hope you find this new site informative and useful.