A silly review/cactus site

[EA-1306]

This man runs the most ignorant cactus site on the web,
here is his review of Trout's Notes.

http://www.sacredcactus.com/trouts_snout.htm
Not only does this guy not believe that T bridgesii exists, he doesn't even know that the source of his material was Backeberg! And he claims to have read Trout's Notes!!

[winder]

I am totally unskilled in identifying these cacti species from one another.
However, I wonder if the point that growing the cacti in different conditions leads to different appearances is valid.

Cacti I have bought from South America, Nevada and California look different from their original appearance now that they are growing at their new residence with me.

[Green2Herman]

I am totally unskilled in identifying these cacti species from one another.
However, I wonder if the point that growing the cacti in different conditions leads to different appearances is valid.

Cacti I have bought from South America, Nevada and California look different from their original appearance now that they are growing at their new residence with me.

Its a valid point as far as my experiance goes.

[EA-1306]

It is well known that there is a difference in appearance with different grow, however his claim is rather extreme; he is saying that the species in the book are not species but differences in growth.

There are many varieties of bridgesii, pachanoi, peruvianus, macrogonus and a few others. To say the differences between them are only due to differences in how they are cultured is quite ignorant.

Not only this but he may not have read the book, for Trout addresses how different conditions affect growth and even mentions that many of the T pachanoi pictured, that even looks somewhat different, are likely to be the same clone.


Consider this picture of some of my collection, his claim in that the variation is due to a difference in conditions seems fallacious, when in the same conditions differences remain. This is not surprising, for the owner of sacredcactus.com seems not only ignorant in regard to the cacti but botanically so as well. He is still good at growing them and has some nice tips though.

I also feel confident in identification of these cacti despite and accounting for differences in cultivation. The variation in the picture is due to genetic differences. Look at the seedlings at the bottom of the photo, these are grown in identical conditions. All of the cuts in the photo are for propagation of rare clones for trade.

[EA-1306]

I noticed that Verne keep changing his review, it gets more arrogant and ignorant especially about genetics, but it also sounds like he is reading the book and learing more about the plants!

[Green2Herman]

Consider this picture of some of my collection

Its a lovely collection.

[EA-1306]

Thanks, I can't wait to get it in the ground!
(I am moving to a place where I can do just that!!)

[flip]

Good luck with that EA!
Hummm regarding the site....

I will say that it would greatly help if people started taking their picts
with a ruler or measuring stick of some sort set against the plant
(yes, I know I'm guilty of doing this too)
 :roll:

just a  thought.

[Green2Herman]

Thanks, I can't wait to get it in the ground!
(I am moving to a place where I can do just that!!)

Which sort do you have in the absolute front?

[visionarybear]

getting acti into the ground is amazing, all i could say after i did it was WOW! the growth was amazing, everything just rocketed and fattened up, never looked back. havent seen my garden since january so will be awsome to see the change in novemberish, even though its over winter here, id expect atleast a few more inches of growth...

[EA-1306]

I hope to be able to devote some decent area to it, and breed them too.

I am looking to make some cold tolerant selections too. That is where the luck will come in handy.

Also Verne has been changing his review, and it seems like reading the book too, he now aknowledges that T bridgesii exists!!

[CJ]

One point this Verne made,which I did not agree w/neccassarily,but did find instructive,is his distaste for Trich. cacti grown in 'flowerpots'.

      Using the very Trouts book,contrary to what he was saying,I was able to view stands of different kinds of Trichs,and that was edjucational. Pachanoi and Bridgsesii seemed more upright,Peruvianus and Macrogonus more postrate. Verne is right,tho` not in his literary critism,it does bring true perspective to see these cacti in their natural state,or akin to it.

     Obviously,there is a stategy these cacti employ,both to gain purchase in a medium whitch is not always flat,ie,a cliff,and to literally crowd all else out. I wonder what kind of other wildlife live in these stands,say mice or rodents,birds,insects? Some Birds are known to take advantage of some cacti envioments in the US southwest/Mexico.

     As for growing in 'flowerpots',I tend to graduate to containers that can hold around 1.5 or bit less, cubit foot. Usually I will transplant two or so similar or same cacti into them. They seem to do well,and allows  for some pupping.

[EA-1306]

A quick looks around his site shows Verne grows them in containers and flower pots too.
There seems to be plants for a hardcover color version of Trout's notes 3rd edition parts A,B and C, it will be expensive to cover the printing costs of all the pictures in color (thousands of pictures and pages). He says it will be around $600+ with less than 100 copies printed. I am now saving up for this. Trout himself is not doing this for a living belive it or not, unlike Verne  and his website Trout's primary interest is not money.

Trout actually mentions how growth changes with regard to how and where they are grown.
I use large containers myself when I can, and am actually going to be able to plant many of them into the ground fairly soon. I like planting seedlings in pairs myself as well.  Many of the plants in flowerpots in Trout's book are cuttings that are rooting and have just come from large mature stands in the Andes.

Verne keeps changing his trout review too, it seems he is gradually reading the book, and learning about the cacti themselves.

Since the book is a guide to what we are likely to encounter in horticulture, and people don't encounter large in-situ plants in horticulture, I think it fits its purpose in an affordable and informative way.
I would love to see Trout and friends work on a larger work devoted to more of a scientific study with fields notes and other aspects of cladistics analysis, but this is years away. Work is being done to establish protocols for private genetic investigation and taxonomic comparison.