10/3/2005: Amazing cactus

Undertoad · 10-03-2005, 11:09 AM

"Did you know there was a Botany Photo of the Day?" Magilla asked while sending this image along. Noted.

IotD is proud to be one of the net's "X of the X" sites, and this "brain cactus" makes the day because it's beautiful. In a wider shot, it's not quite so beautiful, but still interesting:

BPotD explains that the brains are a "morphological variant of the species Mammillaria elongata DC., or golden star cactus. The distinct morphology of this and other brain cacti, known as cristate or crested growth, is caused by an apical meristem gone awry."

I hate it when my apical meristem goes awry.

By the way, some more techie jargon! The first image up there is another one of those images that really is hard on the JPEG format. The original from the BPotD was over 300K in size - massive. It could only reasonably compress to about half that size for the above display. (I rehost the images locally so I don't use people's bandwidth, and so that the IotD remains over time even when people's hosted images go away.) It's because of the many colors and many small but detailed shapes in the image; they don't compress well.

Elspode · 10-03-2005, 03:57 PM

Well worth the bandwidth, UT. Thanks, as always, for bringing such a bounty of interesting stuff to look at to our otherwise rather normal lives!

barefoot serpent · 10-03-2005, 04:16 PM

Saguaro elongata

glatt · 10-03-2005, 04:25 PM

The brain cactus variant here doesn't seem like a very efficient way of gathering sunlight. I wonder how well this one would prosper compared to a golden star cactus that hasn't had its apical meristem go awry? Would it thrive as well?

capnhowdy · 10-03-2005, 04:36 PM

Looks like a big bowl of moldy dog jakes.
JUST JOKING!!!!!
Very interesting, even if its meristem is awry. We rarely have botanical images. Me likes. Thanks guys.

BigV · 10-03-2005, 04:42 PM

Reminded me of this pic of a bit of moss taken this weekend camping.

Cyclefrance · 10-03-2005, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Undertoad

BPotD explains that the brains are a "morphological variant of the species Mammillaria elongata DC., or golden star cactus. The distinct morphology of this and other brain cacti, known as cristate or crested growth, is caused by an apical meristem gone awry."

Brain Cactus, eh.... Makes you think....

linknoid · 10-03-2005, 05:39 PM

We had some of those in our back yard, they weren't molded into a hemispherical shape, but they were the same kind of cactus. I didn't discover them until we had lived there 3 or 4 years, since they were hidden in a long rectangular planter buried in the ground. They survived pretty well without any human intervention in Fresno weather. Just a big bulky mass of them, there was no real way to seperate them (the spines are soft and small enough you can sort of handle them if you're careful).

xoxoxoBruce · 10-03-2005, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cyclefrance

Brain Cactus, eh.... Makes you think....

xoxoxoBruce · 10-03-2005, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glatt

The brain cactus variant here doesn't seem like a very efficient way of gathering sunlight. I wonder how well this one would prosper compared to a golden star cactus that hasn't had its apical meristem go awry? Would it thrive as well?

Good way to conserve water though.... and keep dangly bits from being nibbled.

Tanalia · 10-03-2005, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glatt

The brain cactus variant here doesn't seem like a very efficient way of gathering sunlight. I wonder how well this one would prosper compared to a golden star cactus that hasn't had its apical meristem go awry? Would it thrive as well?

Sunglight is usually not a problem in the common cactus climates. The shape does, however, appear to be rather efficient for catching/holding moisture.

[editted] Hehe, guess Bruce and I were typing at about the same time...

Trilby · 10-03-2005, 06:54 PM

um...isn't anybody going to say that barefoot serpent's pic looks like a cactus with a giant hard-on? No one?

god, i need to write my paper. I never will, though. I'll just keep looking at giant cacti and chew gum. I suck so bad.

BigV · 10-03-2005, 06:56 PM

That cactus doesn't have a hard-on, it has a prick.

capnhowdy · 10-03-2005, 07:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigV

That cactus doesn't have a hard-on, it has a prick.

Now THAT was good.

capnhowdy · 10-03-2005, 07:02 PM

prolly not too snuggly either.

10-03-2005, 11:09 AM	#1
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	10/3/2005: Amazing cactus "Did you know there was a Botany Photo of the Day?" Magilla asked while sending this image along. Noted. IotD is proud to be one of the net's "X of the X" sites, and this "brain cactus" makes the day because it's beautiful. In a wider shot, it's not quite so beautiful, but still interesting: BPotD explains that the brains are a "morphological variant of the species Mammillaria elongata DC., or golden star cactus. The distinct morphology of this and other brain cacti, known as cristate or crested growth, is caused by an apical meristem gone awry." I hate it when my apical meristem goes awry. By the way, some more techie jargon! The first image up there is another one of those images that really is hard on the JPEG format. The original from the BPotD was over 300K in size - massive. It could only reasonably compress to about half that size for the above display. (I rehost the images locally so I don't use people's bandwidth, and so that the IotD remains over time even when people's hosted images go away.) It's because of the many colors and many small but detailed shapes in the image; they don't compress well.

10-03-2005, 03:57 PM	#2
Elspode When Do I Get Virtual Unreality? Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Raytown, Missouri Posts: 12,719	Well worth the bandwidth, UT. Thanks, as always, for bringing such a bounty of interesting stuff to look at to our otherwise rather normal lives! __________________ "To those of you who are wearing ties, I think my dad would appreciate it if you took them off." - Robert Moog

10-03-2005, 04:36 PM	#5
capnhowdy Blatantly Homosapien Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 6,200	Looks like a big bowl of moldy dog jakes. JUST JOKING!!!!! Very interesting, even if its meristem is awry. We rarely have botanical images. Me likes. Thanks guys. __________________ Please type slowly. I can't read very fast............... and no holy water, please.

10-03-2005, 04:42 PM	#6
BigV Goon Squad Leader Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Seattle Posts: 27,063	Reminded me of this pic of a bit of moss taken this weekend camping. Attached Images __________________ Be Just and Fear Not.

10-03-2005, 06:54 PM	#12
Trilby Slattern of the Swail Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 15,654	um...isn't anybody going to say that barefoot serpent's pic looks like a cactus with a giant hard-on? No one? god, i need to write my paper. I never will, though. I'll just keep looking at giant cacti and chew gum. I suck so bad. __________________ In Barrie's play and novel, the roles of fairies are brief: they are allies to the Lost Boys, the source of fairy dust and ...They are portrayed as dangerous, whimsical and extremely clever but quite hedonistic. "Shall I give you a kiss?" Peter asked and, jerking an acorn button off his coat, solemnly presented it to her. —James Barrie Wimminfolk they be tricksy. - ZenGum

10-03-2005, 04:16 PM	#3
barefoot serpent go ahead, abbrev. it Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Lawrence, KS Posts: 2,623	Saguaro elongata

10-03-2005, 04:25 PM	#4
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	The brain cactus variant here doesn't seem like a very efficient way of gathering sunlight. I wonder how well this one would prosper compared to a golden star cactus that hasn't had its apical meristem go awry? Would it thrive as well?

10-03-2005, 05:39 PM	#8
linknoid Superior Inhabitant Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 74	We had some of those in our back yard, they weren't molded into a hemispherical shape, but they were the same kind of cactus. I didn't discover them until we had lived there 3 or 4 years, since they were hidden in a long rectangular planter buried in the ground. They survived pretty well without any human intervention in Fresno weather. Just a big bulky mass of them, there was no real way to seperate them (the spines are soft and small enough you can sort of handle them if you're careful).

10-03-2005, 06:56 PM	#13
BigV Goon Squad Leader Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Seattle Posts: 27,063	That cactus doesn't have a hard-on, it has a prick. __________________ Be Just and Fear Not.

10-03-2005, 07:02 PM	#15
capnhowdy Blatantly Homosapien Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 6,200	prolly not too snuggly either. __________________ Please type slowly. I can't read very fast............... and no holy water, please.

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)