Description
Astrophytum myriostigma cv. Suminagashi is one ot the rarest myriostigma cultivar, its particularity is to have a nudum marbled skin. This peculiar hekiran (Japanese name for Astrophytum myriostigma var. nudum) is a creation of Mr Matsuki, who lives in the Saitama area (Japan). It’s also called “Sumifu hekiran” and “Kiganjo hekiran”. The colour is grey- or bluish-green with very thin streaks running along the sides, with the “Suminagashi” patterning seemingly hidden in the shade. In the begining this was a very popular plant and was traded for considerably large sums of money. Its genes are quite strong and if seedlings are grown, they come true and shows the colouration of the parents.
Derivation of cultivar name: This plant has been named “Suminagashi” because its skin has the same effect as an ancient Japanese technique of drawing called Suminagashi (墨流し). Suminagashi, which means “floating ink” in Japanese, is a method of aqueous surface design, which can produce patterns similar to smooth marble or other stone. The patterns are the result of colour floated on either plain water or a viscous solution known as size, and then carefully transferred to an absorbent surface, such as paper or fabric. The oldest example of Japanese Suminagashi appears in the 12th-century.
Stem: Pentagonal, dimension up to 20 (or more) cm tall, 5-15 cm in diameter. Epidermis smooth, lacking white flecks, finely marbled with bright green, greyish-green, blue-green or mauve-green.
Spines: None.
Ribs: Usually 5.
Flowers: Like those of the well known Astrophytum myriostigma, pale-yellow, shining-silk.
Blooming season: Spring to summer.
Origin and Habitat
Japan. Garden origin (Nursery produced cultivar)
Cultivation and Propagation
Astrophytum myriostigma is a summer grower species relatively easy to grow. It is sometime seen as a grafted plant but grows very well on its own roots too.
Growth rate: It is a slow growing and easily flowering species.
Soil: Use mineral well permeable substratum with little organic matter (peat, humus), plants may become too elongated if compost is too rich.
Repotting: Re-pot every 2 years. Use pot with good drainage.
Fertilization: It grows much faster with a low nitrogen content fertilizer in spring and summer. Potassium helps maintaining the plants compact and healthy.
Watering: Requires careful watering to keep plant compact. Water sparingly from March till October, the thin, fibrous roots suffer if there is humidity, therefore the plant should be watered only when the surrounding terrain is dry. Keep dry as soon as the temperature starts dropping in October and keep it perfectly dry in winter at temperatures from 5 to 15 degrees centigrade.
Hardiness: They need to be kept in a cool place during winter rest and are somewhat resistant to frost if kept on the dry side prior to, and during, cold weather (due to the altitude they are hardy to -5 C ° C, or less for short periods). Although it is one of the easier Astrophytum to grow, it tends to rot in winter during the resting phase, if kept wet. In the rest period no high atmospheric humidity!!
Sun Exposure: Light shade to full sun, its colour tends to richer and darker when grown in light shade.
Uses: It is an excellent plant for container growing. It always looks good and stays small.
Pests & diseases: It may be attractive to a variety of insects, but plants in good condition should be nearly pest-free, particularly if they are grown in a mineral potting-mix, with good exposure and ventilation. Nonetheless, there are several pests to watch for:
- Red spiders: Red spiders may be effectively rubbed up by watering the infested plants from above.
- Mealy bugs: Mealy bugs occasionally develop aerial into the new growth among the wool with disfiguring results, but the worst types develop underground on the roots and are invisible except by their effects.
- Scales: Scales are rarely a problem.
- Rot: Rot is only a minor problem with cacti if the plants are watered and “aired” correctly. If they are not, fungicides won’t help all that much. To prevent rottenness it is also advisable to surround its root neck by very rough sand or grit, this help a fast water drainage.
Propagation: Almost exclusively by seed. Plants are sometimes grafted onto column-shaped cacti. Cutting scions from a flourishing plant is almost a crime because the scions do not root easily.
Remarks: This quite variable plant has been widely grown for years and is now available in several cultivated variety and several breeds do exist. The famous “Onzuka” is only one of these and though maybe the most beautiful, but a lot of other forms are represented in many collections.
Bibliography
Major references and further lectures
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Wikipedia contributors. “Paper marbling.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 18 Nov. 2014. Web. 26 Nov. 2014.
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Sumihiro Saeki “The history of Astrophytum in Japan” Cactus Nursery Saisen-en October 30, 2011
