To get you in the mood for Ernie's quiz....

[Chris43]

Well, not really, but I have two plants that I can't identify. The first:

[IMG]http://www.woodedge.co.uk/Photos/Small/PICT4890.jpg[/IMG]

stands about 80 cm high, and the spines are 9cm or so. Here's a closer look:

[IMG]http://www.woodedge.co.uk/Photos/Small/PICT4891.jpg[/IMG]

The closest I can get is perhaps Trichocereus chiloensis, but I'm by no means sure. It has 13 ribs, and each areole has 11 radial spines and just one central, this is the long one at 9cm.

The second plant is this one:

[IMG]http://www.woodedge.co.uk/Photos/Small/PICT4892.jpg[/IMG]

It is an old plant and from what I could see the original head had died away and these 6 heads have formed. I don't recognise it, though it has suffered somewhat through lack of attention, so may not be a true representation. But each areole only has 5 spines, all radial, no centrals at all. The shape of the tubercles are reminiscent of a Coryphantha (but no groove) or a Thelocactus (but no gland), so its a puzzle to me!! I suppose it could just be a Gymno, butthe spines don't look familiar to me for that genus.

So any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Cactus Jack]

Hi Chris the first one T. terscheckii ?? The second one looks like one i have labelled Thelocactus (hertrocromus) but i cant find this name in the lexicon ??

[Chris43]

Hi Stephen,
Many thanks for the suggestions, I'm way at sea on this.

terscheckii was one of the Trichos that I did consider - it still is on my list of possibles, but in all of the photos that I've found of it on the net, the main spine is much shorter than on my plant. But it could be!
Thelocactus heterochromus has 1-3 central spines, and I've none at all on my plant. I don't know a Thelo without some kind of central spine, but always willing to be told different. But I'd agree, without the central spine issue, I'd be going in the Thelo direction.

[MikeT]

What about Gymno uruguayense for the second?

[David_L]

Think the second one is probably a Coryphantha, but wouldn't dismiss Thelocactus. I've seen plants of the very variable T. hexaedrophorus complex that look quite similar. It looks big enough to flower and maybe give a better clue soon.

[Roy]

First one looks like Trichocereus pasacana, the spine rib and spine count seem the same
[attachment 2469 pas1.jpg]

[Roy]

..closer
[attachment 2470 pas2.jpg]

[Roy]

..and top. But these are only small ones they grow to a few metres
[attachment 2471 pas3.jpg]

[Roy]

..here's a tersheckii in habitat.Some would say terscheckii just changes into pasacana as the altitude increases. Something like 10 to 11,000ft and above.
[attachment 2473 ter.jpg]

[Chris43]

Thanks Roy. Thats a very nice plant. I had discounted this name because of the description given in the NCL, which now calls it atacamensis ssp pasacana. This says for the gneral description "ribs 20-30(-38)....sp. numerous, 50-100". And for ssp pasacana all it says is sp becoming more flexible on older plants. Now that doesn't sound like the plant in your photos, or am I missing something? And it certainly doesn't sound like my plant ..ribs 13..sp 12..if I merge the clear central into the others.

Your plant is similar, but position of central spines(3 in yours) and the one of mine are rather different. I don't know if that matters, though.