Late better than never

Hello everyone.
I joined a few days ago and forgot to introduce myself!

This is a good forum, I've looked around here before, long before I joined and now I'm happy I did.

I like the big tall cacti, especially fat columnars with few ribs, and the epiphytic cacti. I also like the cactus imposters like Euphorbia ingens and the cacti that don't want to be cacti like Epiphyllum oxypetalum. I also like Opuntia but I don't like glochids or their legal status so they are absent from my collection.

Welcome chief!

Glad to see you made an account and join the rest of us crazy cactophiles. we need more active members and its always good to have some fresh ideas/info/pics and questions from another member, on that note post forth and have fun!

-A

Hiya cereoid. Always good to have new members. Hard not to love the beautiful plants.
I'm not familiar with legal issues concerning opuntias. Better do some more research.
Bastardly laws are ever changing and sometimes seem more a hindrance to legitimate plant lovers than a deterrent for any wrongdoers.

Clarification on legal laws:

All Opuntia sp. and Cylindropuntia sp. except O. ficus-indica are declared noxious weeds. I don't know if you are allowed to own such plants, or if it is only illegal to distribute them, so just to be safe I don't have any. But I really don't like glochids.

Thanks for welcoming me to those whom did and anyone who will in future. I've noticed that cactus folk are generally nicer than ordinary folk.

Cheers cereoid. I knew some were but not all. Sucks much. As I said, genuine collectors are so often hampered by laws which are too broadly written. Have to agree glochids are something you don't take lightly. Once bitten, never ever taken casually again.

As I said, I don't know the full legislation. Confusing is an understatement.

But my experience with glochids is one never to forget...
As a child I saw prickly pear fruit in a store and read the sign. "These aren't prickly at all!" I thought. But I wasn't thinking that at all after I had succeeded in rubbing the fruit on MY FACE!!!

Terrible now even to think of it.

Cereoid wrote:

Clarification on legal laws:

All Opuntia sp. and Cylindropuntia sp. except O. ficus-indica are declared noxious weeds. I don't know if you are allowed to own such plants, or if it is only illegal to distribute them, so just to be safe I don't have any.

AFAIK noxious weeds are classified on a state/regional basis so one would have to check whether the plant is *P*rohibited in one's locale. According to a Victoria factsheet, opuntia appears to be prohibited only in certain regions. Why O. ficus indica is specifically excluded may have something to do with its traditional use as human food crop.

Was surprised to hear the O. ficus indica is excluded from prohibition when all others are included since around here it grows abundantly. I've heard people refer to it as a noxious weed but am unsure of it's officially classification. Makes sense to classify regionally rather than as blanket bans. I'll have to get around to checking out the details for this region.
Good one cereoid, don't do things by half. That's a hell of a lesson you got about the nature of the evil glochids. Take some compensation by knowing that it gave me a laugh. Sorry.

This is giving me an idea for a new topic. It will be up shortly.

Intrigued.

Welcome