this little baby gave me a nice surprise today and yesterday with two seperate flowers only flowering 1 day each

Really nice

mmmmmm they are awesome. My astroidies died sadly =( .... but your flower makes me happy.

-A

That is a lovely flower, and such a cute little cactus body as well.

thanks guys... she is frailea castanea cv shidow i have heaps of seedlings of this one from a flower that did not open late last year. this plant is cleistogemic ( goes straight to seed without flowering ).

regards
Darren

Love!

they only live for what 10 years? so a must to collect its seed, i have a frailea asteroides v.backebergii, which is just about to flower!

awesome!

Any chance of swapping some seeds for some cataphracta phaeodisca in a few months?

could definately swap some seed when i get another flower...it looks like one is coming up at the moment so i will try to remember when i get the seeds.

My Frailea asteroides v.backebergii flowered but the flower never opened , and so I was surprised when it fruited and set seed ... self fertile me thinks

Ah yes Cleistogamy ...It must be difficult to cross these types to produce hybrids huh? It was a nice surprise , made up for the disapointment of the flower not opening at all..

I have noticed that these flowers only open when the weather is really hot and bright light had some in a shaded area that didnt open flowers then some in a brighter warmer area and had several flowers open for me. I wonder if anyone else finds the same.
This plant is for sure one of my all time favourites i am starting a collection of fraileas.
Darren did you have a pic of that frailea that you had grafted.
And i love that with frailea you only need the one plant to get seed shame more cacti were not like that.

Cactuscook I would gladly send you some Frailia seeds that i just got off my unopened flower if you would like