Well, some of them are in flower! That's after three years or so from seed. They're hybrids I made between a marvellous amber and white 'epi' I was given by a school pal (Dudley Minor) 45 years ago, and a very floriferous and small flowered pink one from a neighbour in the village a couple of summers ago. The point of the cross was that the white has huge flowers, almost 30cm across, opens for a couple of nights, and has a heart-stopping perfume. The pink usually flowers much earlier in the season, often with flowers from almost every areole. However, the flowers have no smell, but stay open all day, and last well.
What I wanted was a perfumed flower, day opening, and lots of them. What have I got? Well, the seedlings are all pretty uniform. Quite floriferous, outer tepals amber turning pink, inner ones from strawberry pink to palest blush. Size is intermediate between the parents. One plant has, in the evenings, THAT smell. Mmmmm....
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However, plant breeding theory means that it is the children of these hybrids that might give me more excitement. Oh dear.... another wait. So, I rush around with clusters of anthers playing the role of whatever animal fertilises them in nature. The next generation should be sown next spring!
Meanwhile I can't resist crossing them into whatever else is in flower... at the moment, this is what I think must be a Rhipsalis of some sort, tiny phyllodes cascading down, and with small symmetrical pink flowers, lots of petals, and bright yellow anthers... now... if i I could get that with a perfume!
By the way, do please add to all this... and when you are on the main website, please to click on some adds. That would at least pay for my ISP bills! LOL.
Update May 06: well, a few seedlings are ready for pricking out, and dark red fruit are ready for harvesting. All I need now is another five years or so!! Meanwhile, quite a few pink flowered epis are due for the compost heap. RIP
