2006 Zygocactus Schlumbergera Christmas cacti photo gallery

* SCHLUMBERGERA (or ZYGOCACTUS) **

(or CHRISTMAS CACTI)

2006 NEW PHOTOS

CLICK ON A REDUCED PHOTO TO ENLARGE IT.

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ph1 ........... ph2 ............ ph3 ..................... ph4 .................... ph5 .................... ph6 ...................... ph7

ph8

Eight photos of the various Zygocactus “Enigma” appearances.

This Zygocactus which has, as its name indicates it, mysterious origins, would be a cristated form of a botanical Schlumbergera, or a hybrid Schlumbergera. Growth of this plant is very slow, and blooms have very varied shapes, depending on the different stems and the blooming year. The photos are taken from my collection, except for photographs numbers 4, 5 and 8 which were communicated to me by Eckhard Meier. He told me that the plant is believed to have been discovered by chance in the nursery of an American producer “Waldo' S Greenhouse” in Indiana by a Schlumbergera lover, Mrs. Glenda Wood, who contributed to its propagation. I have been growing Z. “Enigma” since 2001, and it bloomed last winter for the first time.

Other monstrous or abnormal plants or blooms of my collection.

Link at the end of this page.

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ph1 .................. ph2 ................................................ ph3 .............................................. ph4

Schlumbergera russelliana ........................S. russelliana vs. S. X buckleyi .................... S. X buckleyi

Schlumbergera russelliana and its descendant : Schlumbergera X buckleyi.

These four photos show Schlumbergera russelliana (ph1 and ph2), or at least a very nearest relative, which I discovered by chance in the collection of Michel Monnier, a friend who lives near my home. Photograph 3 shows the same plant next to Schlumbergera X buckleyi, a hybrid between S. russelliana and S. truncata. S.X buckleyi (ph4) is the “genuine Christmas cactus” grown by our grandmothers, present in numerous houses in the 1940 – 1960s. The first one is a botanical species ; its blooms and stem-segments are smaller than those of the second one; stamens are pink; the bloom is almost actinomorphic, and the perianth is perpendicular to the pistil axis. The bloom of Schlumbergera X buckleyi is zygomorphic, has white stamens, and is larger than its botanical ancestor’s. Both blooms also have slightly different colours.

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................................... x Hatbergera 'Star Burst' ..............................

This Zygocactus, whose stem-segments have an unusual shape, blooms in spring, due to the fact that it isn’t really a Zygocactus, but a Japanese hybrid, between a Zygocactus (Christmas cactus) and a Rhipsalidopsis (or Hatiora or Easter Cactus). The ovary looks like a Rhipsalidopsis ovary, and the bloom tepals are tubular, as one can observe it in some Dahlia.

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Z. x "Aspen"

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Z. X "Bridgeport"...........................................Z. X "Aspen"

Zygocactus X “Aspen” was obtained by the hybridizer Cobia, towards the beginning of the 1990s, by chemically induced mutation of Zygocactus X “Bridgeport”. Aspen’s bloom had, at the beginning of its creation, dentate petals, like those of a carnation. In 1995, I bought a cutting from Rainbow Gardens, because I was fascinated by the catalogue photo. During the first two years, blooms were strange and splendid like the catalogue photo. I just admired them but I didn’t think of taking any photos. During the following years , I was disappointed to observe that blooms had the appearance of those of “Bridgeport”, before its mutation. At the same time, Rainbow Gardens apologized to all people who had bought “Aspen” by explaining that the mutation had appeared to be unstable. During the 2005-2006 winter, I had the pleasant surprise to have again only one bloom with dentate petals, among ten flowers similar to those of “Bridgeport”. So, the mutation hasn’t disappeared. I recently learned that chemically induced mutation ( using for instance colchicine which is said to double the chromosomes number) were often unstable. Some plants mutations are induced by using chemical agents and/or irradiation ; they are also often unstable like this one. Time is necessary to evaluate a mutation stability.

Other monstrous or abnormal plants or blooms of my collection.

Link at the end of this page.

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