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Morphology (Identifying
Characteristics):
Habit: Clump-forming stem succulents 5–10 cm high, richly
branched.
Stem: Vegetative shoots green to
very dark brown, cylindrical, 2–30 cm long, 5–12 mm wide,
4–6(–8)-angled, with angles rounded, tuberculate.
Leaves: Reduced to strongly
reflexed scales; scales constituting soft and brittle thorns.
Roots: Roots fibrous.
Inflorescence: Inflorescences at basal flanks of stems,
1–5-flowered, 1 flower open at times
Flower: 6–18 mm long, with 5
triangular lobes Yellow with brown spots.
Note:
The
flowers will give off odours when they completely open and if the
plants need to be relocated when it blooms it's best to move the
plant before the buds form, or after the flower begins to open.
Moving the plants as they are developing buds may cause it to
spontaneously abort its flowers all together.
Cultivation: Cultivation and
propagation is easy, they are happy in any average succulent house. Re
pot every 2 years. Water normally in the growing season, sparsely in the
winter. Winter care presents no problems at 5°C with plenty of light.
Pest and
diseases:
They are very
susceptible to stem and root
mealy bugs, and damage from these may well initiate
fungal
attack.
Any time when there is a dead or dying stem in the pot it is important
to remove it immediately and completely before other healthy stems can
become ill too, you can
then reliably isolate the healthy parts, dry them off, and re-root them
in new compost.
Propagation:
Easiest with stem
cuttings. Allow cuttings to
dry
a day before
planting. Stems must be laid (Not buried) on
gritty
compost and will then
root from the underside of the
stems. It can also be increased from seeds
sowing in
spring in moist,
sandy
peat moss. Barely cover seeds. Seeds
germinate quickly.
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