Re: Pencil Cactus Question of the week

Jim-I asked Dr. McK and she said that would be fun, so we're on!
A
----- Original Message ----- From: "Andrea Hodges" <andreah@hargray.com> 
To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Monday, August 13, 2007 7:27 PM
Subject: Re: [CHAT] Pencil Cactus Question of the week
Sure! I'll take one. May be fun to experiment with and see if it does the same thing. Send me two please actually and I'll see if Dr. McK wants one. 
A
----- Original Message ----- From: "james singer" <islandjim1@verizon.net> 
To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Monday, August 13, 2007 5:34 PM
Subject: Re: [CHAT] Pencil Cactus Question of the week
Thanks, Andrea, you were correct. And thanks to Dr Mck, too. If either of you would like a knot, a cutting, I'd be happy to send it. I checked the tree-sized plant around the corner and down the street and it doesn't seem infected, so... so I don't know what to think. I'm sure it is a virus. I wonder, of course, if it's lethal or just ornamental. If the latter, it's kind of neat--a Gordian Knot, for sure. 

On Aug 13, 2007, at 5:14 PM, Andrea Hodges wrote:
OK, not to toot my own horn but I feel somewhat like my studies have sunk in since I suggested a virus........;-) 
See my professor's answer below.
A
----- Original Message ----- From: "Mckenney, Cynthia"
Sent: Sunday, August 12, 2007 10:19 PM
Subject: RE: Pencil Cactus Question of the week
Wow. I have had a pencil cactus and it never did that. So, this is totally a guess as I can't tell enough without seeing a bit more or touching it etc. What I did notice was it looks like lighter green speckles on the stems but not the leaves. If those are not lenticels then I think there is a virus. Viruses are able to cause many types of contortions. Infact, the varigation on a snake plant is virus induced as are some of the color patterns in tulips. That is a guess, not an answer. 

Dr. Mck

Cynthia McKenney, Ed.D

Associate Professor of Horticulture
Dept. of Plant and Soil Science
M.S. 2122
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, TX  79409-2122
Ph: 806-742-2854
Fax:  806-742-2011
e-mail:  cynthia.mckenney@ttu.edu


________________________________

From: Andrea Hodges [a*@hargray.com]
Sent: Sun 8/12/2007 7:05 PM
To: Mckenney, Cynthia
Subject: Pencil Cactus Question of the week



Hey Dr. McK-will you please take a look at the pencil cactus in the url
posted and tell me what you think about why it's tying itself in knots? It's a mystery to me and my gardening friends. I know plants can be MADE to do 
that by hand but I'm told this one is doing it on its own.
Thanks!
A
----- Original Message -----
From: "james singer" <islandjim1@verizon.net>
To: "Garden Chat" <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Sunday, August 12, 2007 12:32 PM
Subject: [CHAT] Question of the week



Has anyone ever seen a pencil plant [Euphorbia tirycalli] tie itself in
a knot and/or know why it might do such a thing?

http://tinyurl.com/2raogn

Island Jim
Southwest Florida
27.1 N, 82.4 W
Hardiness Zone 10
Heat Zone 10
Sunset Zone 25
Minimum 30 F [-1 C]
Maximum 100 F [38 C]

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Island Jim
Southwest Florida
27.1 N, 82.4 W
Hardiness Zone 10
Heat Zone 10
Sunset Zone 25
Minimum 30 F [-1 C]
Maximum 100 F [38 C]

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