ML,

They're not unique, but you don't see them enough in collections, IMHO...

A closeup of the roots of Cyphostemma 'Fat Basta#$'

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Closeup of the rosette of Aeonium rubrolineatum
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Kalanchoe beharensis 'Maltese Cross'

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My deepest apologies for the following, but the word geek in my forces me to let you know that there's no 'more unique', 'less unique', 'most unique'. It's like 'jade cactus', there is no such thing. A thing is unique or it isn't, there's no shading of it. It's one of my pet peeves, and, once again, I do apologize and offer in abject remorse one more photo, just for you and unique, at least in Kamloops.

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A pupping Agave pumila - this is back in July, so I hope the repot will have brought more growth to those pups.

Agave pumila is a naturally-occurring hybrid, IIRC, and it stays sort of small for many years. Lzddr had a picture of it in the ground and mature (a striking plant!). It doesn't normally pup, but I'm told this clone does pup, and how.

Here are a couple from my collection that I don't see too often. They're dwarf aloes from Madagascar.

A. droseroides
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And A. pronkii
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They're both pretty easy to care for. They bloom in the spring/summer. The droseroides has started to offset as you can see in the photo.

Pen,

Talk about some Dyckia/Hechtia-looking Aloes! Those are pretty.

I guess my Alluaudias but I think that's more that nobody likes Alluaudias except me.

Also that weird, creepy monstrose Euphorbia that I got last year. I'm not even sure if it's growing normally for me. I don't even know what normal growth is in this context.

Amcour,

Plenty of us like Alluaudias - whoever told you otherwise is not informed. Why, even some of my best friends have Alluaudias, per the link.

Here is a link that might be useful: AL in AZ

I don't have anything unique, but these I don't see for sale where I live very often.

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Euphorbia polygona 'Snowflake'

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Euphorbia lactea 'White Ghost'
Just a baby cutting.

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My Monadenium I don't know what. I have only seen one Monadenium for sale where I live, and this is it!

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Two hairy white dudes.

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Euphorbia flanaganii cristata

BTW I'm with Jeff; unique is unique. It never needs a modifier.

Christopher

A few species have eluded me for a long time. I attempted Avonia quinaria and Blossfeldia from seed many times. I finally figured out the formula for success: water much more often. I know have thriving colonies of both.

But Muiria hortensae, perhaps the holy grail of Mesembs, still proved challenging. I have 2 lone survivors from a batch of seed sown last fall. These are unique and rare. I have very rarely seen plants for sale, only seed:

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Here are seedlings sown this fall. I never let them dry out. So far, so good:
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Discocactus horstii from seed is another rarity.

x

"Avonia quinaria"

I have one of these. Not a seedling by any means, but even during the middle of winter, sitting by a window, it... seems to need a fair amount of water. I find it kind of funny, because I was always told they were very rot prone and had even heard suggestions to not water at all in the winter.

Of course, now I'm really concerned that I underwatered it during the summer, as doing so seems like a really good method for attracting mealies :(

I love those unique Aloe, they are very special, If I don't have it is unique to me. Norma

Most unique....there's so many to chose from, each with with it's own story

Othonna cacaloides So rare, so unavailable, so hard to keep alive from season to season, purchased all I could afford
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Sarcocaulon peniculinum A hard to find winter grower, traveled 6hr to get this
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Fouquieria fasciculata An ebay win at a bargain price
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Euphorbia tuberosa Never seen these for purchase in US, got 4 seedlings from Thailand 8yrs ago with no phyto
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Leutchenbergia principis I'm not a cacti person but when I saw the size of this I had to have it. Purchased from a private collector who was the original owner/grower
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Ceropegia radicans A vining succulent I would have never bought if I had not seen the flowers
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Digitostigma caput-medusae Read about this rare cacti and had to have one. Traveled to Phoenix to obtain this beauty as well as other specimens
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Oh my gosh - sooo many great plants! Love them all, but have to say I really get a kick out of the two hairy white dudes! Thanks so much for sharing - I figured using the word unique was open ended enough for each person to put their own interpretation to - I figure each personality would have their own definition of "unique" when it came to cacti/succulents.

By the way, what is a mesemb? I keep seeing this word everywhere but can't figure out what it is. Is it just another type, like Euphorbia or Crassulae?

"By the way, what is a mesemb?"

Mesembs usually refer to the plants in the genus Mesembryanthemum. The reason for the shortening should be self explanatory ;)

By the way, how thick is the trunk on the Leuchtenbergia? From what I've seen they are apparently pretty variable in how thick/tall their trunks are and how much they branch..? That's pretty impressive, in any case.

Also what are your experiences with the Digitostigma? I was under the impression that they were actually not that difficult to grow, but were also apparently better off on their own roots because otherwise they don't form a proper tuber and shed tubercles from a lack of water?

"Mesembs usually refer to the plants in the genus Mesembryanthemum."

I thought it referred to all plants in the family Mesembryanthemaceae (now in Aizoaceae), i.e. Conophytum, Lithops and many others, not just Mesembryanthemum?

The trunk on the Leutchenbergia is 5in diameter and had 3branches. The guy I got it from said it was field collected in 1970 and was 6in tall. Today it's about 24in tall.

Digitostigma is very easy to grow, hard part is obtaining them. The photo about is a graft and I have 3 seed grown as well. I've read that seedling rot easily if over watered and that's why most propagators graft. My mix is so porous I have no worry of over watering. Now if they would flower at the same time I'd be in business.

My 1st caudiciform purchased in 1991. This photo was taken in 2005. Today the plant is even larger and weighs in at 150lb potted up
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Eriospermum cf. halenbergense One my tiniest plants. The pot has a 1in diameter. It puts out one leaf then one flower then goes dormant.
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ML,

Yes, I hope my word dweebiness didn't offend - it doesn't seem like it did.

I agree with TJ's definition of 'Mesemb' - you often see it as shorthand for the entire Family. Many people think of just Conophytum and Lithops, but there are hundreds more. And don't think they're always teeny-tiny; take a look at Trichodiadema and Mestoklema for some Mesemb shrubbery.

Keith,

You and your pet Cypho's picture never fail to impress. Has it done its deciduous thing yet for you? Mine's completely bare (and it's about 180 lbs lighter, too). How about a recent pic? Thanks.

It's actually funny, I have my degree in English and I usually consider myself a "word dweeb" (lol) and when I read that all I could think was "I've been had"!

"I thought it referred to all plants in the family Mesembryanthemaceae (now in Aizoaceae), i.e. Conophytum, Lithops and many others, not just Mesembryanthemum?"

This is probably what I meant except I am very bad at reading what I am copying from Wikipedia, especially if the words in question are like ten syllables long.

you are correct... a mesemb is any member in the entire family Aizoaceae.

MojaveL,

Oh, you asked about the 'most vicious' - a superlative adjective if I ever saw one, but does that also make it a qualitative adjective, too? Glad you asked, because here's my most vicious here.

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Aloe marlothii. It's been repotted since then and is growing, it seems. I might bed this one out in the summer. It likes heat.

Do you know of the Association of English Majors? It's on Prairie Home Companion - one of my favourite skits.

Here's a viscious Arizona one - a rescued Ferocactus wislizenii.

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But getting back to unique. This one's unique because I've never seen one this large. In two years, it's quintupled in size from its formerly potted home to being PIGed (put in ground). It's Opuntia/Tephrocactus strobiliformis. I've always had a soft spot for Tephrocactus, which, in spite of my English teachers' instructions otherwise, still want to call 'Jethrocactus'.

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Wowee..Every plant/caudex is amazing and goegeous.

Cactus..I've heard the word, 'dweeb' on a TV show. What does it mean? lol..

Kris. Your White Ghost is so nice. Do you know if side/off shoots will eventually grow in or the one single succulent? Thanks much,, Toni

Beautiful Plants.

Toni:

If my White Ghost roots well it will send out branches the same as the normal Euphorbia lactea does. I just love the creamy colour of it. I have put a link to a rather famous White Ghost in San Francisco.

BTW, I have understood a dweeb to be somewhat synonymous with a nerd or a geek. Maybe Jeff knows if there is a difference?

Christopher

Here is a link that might be useful: San Fran White Ghost