Echinofossulocactus sulphureus    8/4/21
This plant came out of the same seed batch as that of the preceding plant. It's called a "cristate" form. We have no idea why some plants, not only cacti, but easy to spot among cacti, suddenly begin to grow in this fashion. The apical meristem, rather than growing straight up, seems to divide continually and grow sideways. The left side of the plant shows this odd growth. This plant only showed that growth pattern until a couple of years ago, when what looks like normal plants started growing out of the cristate. The fine white spines are the normal "baby" spines of this species. The plant after a year or two starts putting out different spines, looking more like the adult spines. I think of them as "juvenile" spines. Then there is a second transition to the adult spines, the dark and flat things near the growing tip of the several new heads. I have a theory that this plant can't flower except from the areoles having "adult" spines. I'm looking forward to seeing those flowers and making seeds with them. I want to study the genetics of cristate formation.   (085/112)   

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