I bought this the other day and there was no info on it except the price. Can anyone tell me what kind of cactus this is?
It looks like a Tephrocactus articulatus var. papyracantha. Also called the Paper-Spine Cactus. Are those big broad spikes kind of brittle, like paper?
Yup. I think that’s it.
Thanks!
I’m with jayjay, I’ve got a few of these (one original plus all the pads I’ve accidentally snapped off and potted up), but mine looks more like the specimen in jayjay’s link than DCnDC’s. The latter looks like a fine 2-year old grown from cuttings, but the dark green colour and plumped appearance is indicative of being fed and watered a bit too well, which is what nurseries do to produce saleable cactuses in the shortest time. This will make it a little soft, so keep it a safe margin above frosty temperatures in the winter. They can be hardened up by a bit of hibernation in the winter, and not too much water and food in the summer.
It’s a good choice - I like a cactus one can stroke.
Yeah I bought it because it had a lot of character. Plus the cats won’t get a face full of spikes when they stick their noses in it.