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  Stapelianthus pilosus CACTUS ART
NURSERY

Cultivation and Mail Sale
of Cacti and Succulents.


This rare species from Madagascar resembles Huernia pillansii

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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Family: Asclepiadaceae (Apocynaceae)  (Milkweeds family)
Scientific Name: Stapelianthus pilosus Lavranos & Hardy

Distribution & Habitat: Endemic to the arid southern parts of Madagascar. Africa.

 

 



Stapelianthus pilosus  has stems covered by elongated, almost hair-like tubercles (modified leaves)

Photo gallery: Alphabetical listing of Cactus and Succulent pictures published in this site.

Photo gallery STAPELIANTHUS

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 Encyclopaedia of Succulents. We hope you find this new site informative and useful.