Very cool Dawn, and a cool looking plant to boot!!
Bill in SC

Thanks Bill. This is one of my favorite plants and one of my oldest.

Dawn

That is cool...thanks for sharing.

All of my Buiningia: brevicylindrica, aurea, purpurea -- (approx. 200 plants) are day bloomers and have been for many years, with the flowers fully opening in early afternoon.

James

Flowers in late morning -- sunny conditions:

B. aurea
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B. brevicylindrica
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B. purpurea
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That's really nice Dawn, I've never owned one of these, I like the way the cephalium grows up the side of the plant.

Also nice pics from James there, thanks.

CP

Thanks Dawn and James for this posting. This is a group of plants I've never grown.

Is seed the usual method for propagation? And how long from seed to cephalium? There is something about them that reminds me of Melocactus. Is there a close relationship, by chance? (Too many questions.)

Al

Note that several authorities ascribe species of this genus to Coleocephalocereus with the suffix icus.

Al wrote:

Is seed the usual method for propagation? And how long from seed to cephalium? There is something about them that reminds me of Melocactus. Is there a close relationship, by chance?

Although I do grow plants from seed, most of my propagation is via rooting offsets which are produced in great abundance by mature plants of B. aurea & B. brevicylindrica. These offsets come equipped with rudimentary root bundles and become established very quickly -- you can soon be up to your armpits in plants if you don't watch it -- that is what has happened to me. I will post photographs later.

These cacti are indeed very closely related to Melocactus as Nigel Taylor points out in his Monograph.

James

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James

Two B. aurea showing basal offsets (some previously removed for propagation).
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Rooted offsets bearing their own offsets.
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James

The flowers on this plant open at night. As the evening goes on, the flowers start to open up. By 5:30am the flowers are starting to close up. By 9:00am, the flowers are tight as a drum. The flowers start to loosen up at around 9:00pm.

Dawn

My education continues. Thank you all so very much.

Al

Yes, mine too.

Dawn