Help me ID various columnar Euphorbia cacti?

Use this forum to discuss matters relating to succulent Euphorbiaceae genera far too plentiful to enumerate. This is where one posts unknown plant photos for ID help.
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Xanthoria
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Help me ID various columnar Euphorbia cacti?

#1

Post by Xanthoria »

These came as pretty scraggly leftovers from a cactus collector who was moving years ago. I put them in my community garden and they grew on well. I've just had to move them to a new place and would like to get IDs. I personally can't tell the difference between E. ammak, E. trigona, E. ingens etc. but suspect these photos comprise three species?

Cactus #1: a candelabra shape.
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Cactus #2: columnar (the far left and two right ones in the first pic below)
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Cactus #3: the middle one, very shaded in the group shot above. Also the most beat up, after someone hacked the top off :( It's just starting to recover now.
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Stan
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Re: Help me ID various columnar Euphorbia cacti?

#2

Post by Stan »

The first I really like. Nice trunk on that old timer. It sort of looks like a E.triangularis.
The others are what we debate here on A -ville. To me? It looks like what is sold as E.abyssinica Others will tell you its the all green E.ammak. And I think there is a website that says there are no real E.ammaks sold..they are all E. candelabra. I had that bookmarked..might have lost it.

If those last start to develop MANY branches? Then they are for sure E.ingens. My E. abyssinica is not a heavy brancher..neither are the ones on the internet. Short of flowers looked at by a botanist...thats my way.
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Stan
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Re: Help me ID various columnar Euphorbia cacti?

#3

Post by Stan »

Here it is. Geoff also has many of these on a Daves Garden article.
http://www.cactus-art.biz/schede/EUPHOR ... _ammak.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Xanthoria
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Re: Help me ID various columnar Euphorbia cacti?

#4

Post by Xanthoria »

Yeah I've been reading a few of the Dave's articles including this one and these cacti are pretty hard to separate at times!

I've more or less decided that they are:

1. candelabra shape, three sided - E.triangularis
2. thicker edges, straight - E. abyssinica
3. thinner edges, wavy - E. ammak

And until someone comes and tells me otherwise, I'm sticking with it! :lol:
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Re: Help me ID various columnar Euphorbia cacti?

#5

Post by Agavemonger »

#2 looks more like Euphorbia ingens to me; definitely not Euphorbia abyssinica.

#1 & #3 are probably correct.

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Stan
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Re: Help me ID various columnar Euphorbia cacti?

#6

Post by Stan »

I would go with E.ingens for no.2 also...Too branchy for the other names.
Hayward Ca. 75-80f summers,60f winters.
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