A flower of caput-medusae was open this afternoon. It is the 1st flower of caput-medusae in my place.
Sown seeds: 24/08/08
Germination:28/08/08
Seedling grafting:09/09/08
1st flowering:14/01/09
I have 23 of grafted plants and more flowers will be soon.

Amazing - simply shows the powerful benefits of grafting. Mine planted about the same time are only about a centimetre long and will be years before they flower. Well done Hana.

That is awesome. Your plants have grown fast Hanazono. They produce a nice flower.

It's a pitty the crosses and multi hybrids of this sp are not as exiting as you would expect

Beautiful!

did you pollinate it?

lewis
Unfortunatel the flower was just one and it seems pollen was too young.
I pollinated with myriostigma cv Onzuka and myriostigma v nudum cv khoyo kikkou.
I will check the flower this afternoon again.
Hanazono

Awesome work Hanazono.
I'm so impressed that you achieved this within 5 months from being sown.

Hellonasty
The same flower opened again yesterday afternoon. It seemed pollen was matured enough.
I crossed with 5 Astrophytum sp and 3 other genera sp in total.
I understand there are several F3 hybrids crossed with Astrophytum sp and the appearance is very similar to the mother plant by F2 hybrid.
This is first time I grow caput-medusae but I think this cactus is quite different from others.
Eg the attached photo looks like a flower bud but I think it will be a multi tubercles pup. I am wating the change.
I will also try to graft the flower like thing soon.

Good result!!
From sowing to blooming only in four months and a half!

I think it seems the crossing has completed successfully with 6 Astrophytum plants.
The photo is myriostigma cv fukuryu, one of plants with a fruit.

This is really exciting. Make sure to keep us updated.
You don't really have an issue with this anyway.

The attached photo is multi-tubercle pup, grown from the photo attached on 16/01/09.
I am not sure this is a normal caput-medusae pup or affected by grafting.

Now that looks interesting Hana. Since having seeing this plants characteristics I have never seen this before, I don't no if anyone else has.

Do you think it is worth cutting of the offset and grafting it at any point?

Kanja
Actually I tried to graft a small one and failed. It was too hot in here.
I may try agan when the condition meets the grafting.
I also have tried to root 2 tubercles, about 10 cm.
It is mentioned in the paper writen by Velazco & Nevarez "Caput-medusae is possible to root from tubercle cuttings."
Hanazono

Great work you are doing hanaz. caput-medusae never fails to present new and interesting aspects of itself to the cultivator.

I have seen the multi-tubercle offset thing before on grafted specimens (on pereskiopsis), but never on own roots plants nor in any habitat photographs, so I think its likely to be an effect of grafting (unnatural).

I have never heard of it being propagated by the rooting of the tubercles though, let us know how you go with that.