Hi,

I was wondering if anyone could help me with a puzzle? I have an Easter Cactus (Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri) as pictured in the link below:

Picture of Easter Cactus

I have had the plant for some 15 years now and it flowers once a year. After its most recent flowering however, something odd occured. At the end of the main stem (where flowers usually appear) a different kind of cactus seems to have "sprouted". (there is only one of these growths all other new leaves are as normal)

This new "growth" is nothing like the rest of the plant, it is similar to the plant pictured in the link below:

Picture of cactus similar to "growth"

The fourth picture (second down on the right).

However, the "growth" is only small at the present time and only has four "edges" rather than the six in the link above, it also has spines on each edge similar to that of other cacti.

I have two or three of these plants and this has not occured in any of the others.

I was just wondering, could anyone please throw any light on this mystery?

I would be thankful for any information I receive.

TIA!

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Panther44