HOOCK, H. 1990 . Cact. Succ. Journ. (US) Band: 62 Heft (6) Seite 267, 271 Capricorne on a stick
Capricorne on a stick
For the sake of grafting seedlings of cacti, Pereskiopsis BR. & R. is up to the present often chosen as a base. Under optimal conditions, it is in this way possible to gain blooming grafts within one year. In an age of maximally two or three years, you generally take away the scion in order to cultivate the plant further on own roots.
The photo shows a specimen of Astrophytum capricorne (DIETR.) BR. & R., which I grafted as a pinhead-large seedling on a Pereskiopsis velutina R. 15 years ago. As the development of the Astrophytum was magnificent, I postponed its detachment from one year to the other. Today the plant measures about 6.5 inches in diameter and I think that such an operation is too risky. In the meantime the pencil-thick Pereskiopsis has become wooden, but nevertheless still accomplishes its task as on the first day. The Capricorne on the top of it is concerning beauty, spines and tallness still after such along period of time in no way inferior to its not grafted siblings, which are at the same age. Several times within each year it brings beautiful, golden-yellow blossoms, which exhale a wonderful perfume on the first day of the anthesis.
This technique of grafting has a long tradition in Germany. As early as 1918, an article in "Monatsschrift für Kakteenkunde" written by R. MEYER, who was a well known collector of cacti at this time, told about cacti cultivated on Pereskiopsis before the turn of the century. Among others he reported analogously: "...Especially I want to mention the columnar specimens of Echinopsis tubiflora ZUCC. which are still in their original form and above all one lengthened globular 40 cm high and 25 cm in diameter specimen of Echinopsis eyriesii ZUCC., grafted on Peireskia (1). As the older cacti-amateurs surely will remember, this plant presented a quite uncommon view. As this specimen would not have been able to hold its position on the extremely thin twig, it was buttressed on four sides with sticks and hung like a balloon above the nursing Pereskia. Considering its dimensions, the graft did in any case spend long years in this position and should among others prove contrary to other opinions that longevity can also be guaranteed to grafted plants...".
Sense or nonsense of grafting has often been a matter for discussion. At my own work with the genus Astrophytum I actually only make use of this technique either in order to gain time at cross-breeding-experiments or to save seedlings which are impaired by loss of chlorophyll. Thereby I notice in many cases that Pereskiopsis or Cereus jusbertii REB. (Eriocereus jusbertii (REB.) RICC.) used as base, cause the development of atavistic characters of the scion. For example Astrophytum coahuilense (M(tm)LL.) KAYS. (2) often shows short, deeply black spines before its sexual maturity.
Though the above mentioned arguments seem to prove just the opposite, you should avoid to use Pereskiopsis as a permanent base. Such constructions "cacti on the stick" firstly are less esthetic and secondly Pereskiopsis prefers a relative high temperature during the hibernation combined with a raised atmospheric humidity. Unfortunately this grafting-base is also a bit erratic concerning its behaviour: there are times when the graft is growing at an incredible speed and on the other hand it is stagnating for months without any known reasons. If you why ever graft Astrophytums then you are well advised with Cereus jusbertii as a base. When the development of the scion shall proceed calm or if it shall even stay on his host forever, it is also a good possibility to use Echinopsis or Astrophytum myriostigma LEM. In this case the expectation of life of such Astrophytums will be several decades.
footnotes:
(1) At the times of R. MEYER the spelling "Peireskia" in the sense of K. SCHUMANN included the genus Pereskiopsis which was divided by BRITTON & ROSE some years later.
(2) In the English-speaking world and in Mexico this plants are often treated as a red-blotched variety of Astrophytum myriostigma LEM. In the German taxonomy they are generally accepted as an own species.
Literature:
BACKEBERG, C. (1970 ): Das Kakteenlexikon, Enumeratio diagnostica Cactacearum, Gustav Fischer Verlag, Jena : 14-15
BRITTON, N. L.; ROSE, J. N. (1937 ): The Cactaceae - Descriptions and Illustrations of Plants of the Cactus Family, Carnegie Inst. of Washington : 8, 25-30
MEYER, R. (1918 ): Aus der Jugendzeit, Monatsschrift f. Kakteenkunde 28 (9): 97-98
SCHUMANN, K. (1903 ): Gesamtbeschreibung der Kakteen, Monographia Cactacearum, 2. ed. mit den Nachträgen von 1898-1902, J. Neumann Verlag, Neudamm : 754-760
photo:
Astrophytum capricorne, grafted, flowering
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