Here

http://dunecraft.com/resources/cactusinstructions.pdf

Here

http://www.dunecraft.com/resources/cactus_plant_information.htm

And Here

http://home.att.net/~larvalbugbio/cactus1.html

G'day

Yes it is correct.

BUT! They are not taking about the plants being subjected to the natural Gamma Rays that are part of the background radiation. These plants originated in Japan, and are subjected to controlled levels of Gamma Radiation from a radioactive source.

There is no way that these can be considered natural. The Gamma Radiation destroys the chlorophyll, allowing the red pigmentation (akin to the melatonin in your skin when sun tanned) to show. Unless they are grafted they have no way of manufacturing food. If a slightly lower dose is given, then some chlorophyll can remain and then you have a plant that can produce some food, but will usually struggle if on it's own roots.

LOL

Fof

I liked the last 2 links. It was very informative. Thanks for sharing it.

Dawn

Of course occasionally you'll get a red one naturally, without the need for any radioactive material at all. Sow a few hundred seeds and you should get something interesting. Or, if you need lots of them, contact your local ex-Russian military contact and see about getting a little Plutonium and some lead underwear ;)

Gamma rays are not involved with the creation of these plants. That is an urban legend and there is no truth to the matter at all. Red caps or hibotans were naturally occuring mutations that were found and bred and hybridized by the japanese. Variegated plants are fairly common in any seed batch of cacti.

For the real story on how hibotans originated go here
http://www.lapshin.org/cultivar/N12/histor-e.htm

Pretty Strange......

Why then do you never see this cacti not grafted - (Bright red color)

Texas_Green, no graft = dead cactus pretty pronto.

TG,

Just because it's on the Internet doesn't make it true.

To expand on snb's comment, the graft ('scion') has no chlorophyll - it would die without being grafted onto the stock, which produces enough chlorophyll to allow both to live.

Really Jeffrey Harris, things on the Internet can be false??? Jackass -- And you comment chlorophyll about was just an ECHO of (thefof's comment above) --

That was an interesting article -- So you do not believe it is possible to get the same results by exposing to gamma rays. I guess that these types are so manipulated that they fail to grow with out grafting.

I have these that are not grafted and are red but not that bright red.

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Variegated plants are fairly common in any seed batch, especially in hybrids. If the seedling is completely variegated and has no chlorophyll, it has to be grafted before its food supply from the seed runs out. The plant will then grow and can then be propagated from offsets or tissue culture which are then grafted.

Some amateurs in this forum have posted pictures of some pretty spectacular variegated astrophytum hybrids that they found in a seed batch and grafted as seedlings. Most of those were bright yellow although I have seen some red ones also.

Apparently that story about the gamma rays is fairly widely believed, but doesnt have any basis in fact. The japanese have a love of cacti mutations and once they get ahold of one, they breed the heck out of it until the plant almost doesnt look real. Look at what they did to the superkabuto, which started out with one unusual plant in a texas nursery that was bought by a japanese tourist.

TG,

The color seen on your plants is in response to sunlight intensity and amount of water given, but you'll see that on a number of succulent plants. Admittedly, some don't change color, no matter how much sun they receive.

I've been called many things, TG, but that's a first. Thanks for helping me stay humble. I hadn't read FofF's comment closely, so thanks too for pointing that out.

Whether or not you believe in that balderdash is certainly your business, but I was trying to answer your question ('Why then do you never see this cacti not grafted - Bright red color'). Oh, and ad hominem attacks are a no-no, regardless of whether they're treated with gamma rays.

Ok  I was the skeptic in the first place and just wanted to know the truth. Anyway Gamma Rays are supposed to turn you Big and Green not red. Sorry for calling you a J@#$ASS  I just though you were being condescending.