Pseudolithos cubiformis

Finally found one of these for sale in person from raresucclents.com at the san gabriel succulent society sale. $15 and nicely replaces my pseudolithos migiurtinus which I had grown from seed and just died overnight.

Eriosyce odieri

Purchased 2013 from California Cactus Center

Sulcorebutia rauschii

plant purchased 11/2/13 at san gabriel society show and sale.

Copiapoa hypogea lizard skin

The newest member of my ugly cactus/succulent collection. Fresh from the huntington botanical garden annual plant sale.

Copiapoa hypogea

dioscorea elephantipes (elephant foot plant) from seed.

Went online and got some dioscoreaa elephantis seeds. They look like little propellors that fall off of maple treees.

How to sprout discorea elephantipes: They were easy to sprout in a small pot with good draining cactus mix (1/3 comercial potting soil, 1/3 sand and 1/3 perilite) tied up in a opaque plastic bag and put in a eastern window for two weeks.

just after sprouting you can see
the caudex on this little
dioscorea elephantis seeding

at one month the caudex is much larger

8 months

But some wonderfull day they will look like this

or more likely like this wonderful specimen at the huntington gardens. That may be a while though because this softball sized creature is almost 30 years old.... though probably younger then the tortoises. Maybe older then our shelled friend is this huge specimen also a the huntington gardens.

Oldest dioscorea elephantipes around 80 years

Similar but unrelated here is what it looks like at the top of Devils Pollpile in California

Pseudolithos migiurtinus from seed

Bought some Pseudolithos migiurtinus seeds on ebay. 

This is the newest member of my ugly cactus/succulent collection. 

I have them controlled for temp, light and humidity using a light bulb for heat, my LED grow lamp for light and plastic bags for humidity. Heat is easily controlled by checking the temp and moving the light bulb. As for soil I started with a commercial cactus soil. 

Here they are just sprouted about 5 days after planting them: 

On DOL 3 transfered one to a more appropriate soil: 

-one part commercial potting soil (baked in oven to sterilize) 

-one part perlite

-one part washed play sand

Much larger at 2 and a half months old

Starting to get its characteristic texture (and uglyness) at 7 months old

As I had been warned was possible if not likely with this species it suddenly melted away overnight. No idea why. About a year and a half old at the time.

My knowlage of succulents, limited though it is, comes from  The Timber Press Guide to Succulent Plants of the World: A Comprehensive Reference to More than 2000 Species and Toms blog Theatrumbotanicum

Lophocereus schottii monstrose; the real christmas cactus

The first member of ugly cactus collection. 

aka pachycereus?