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Pro Class Fixed Lens Compact Cactus Garden in Beverly Hills

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
My Apple iPhone XS Max is my digicam today! All the images below are copyright Asher Kelman 2019.



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Asher Kelman: Cactus Garden
Beverly Hills California
iPhone Xs Max




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This will be fun, I promise! ?


Comments welcome! Feel free to correct taxonomical description or add your own insights or related images! For the purists, “Cactus Garden’s” house not only

Genuine cacti, forms of plants, dicotyledon variants, (i.e. with a two-part seed kernel), but also....

Succulents, storing water in their fleshy leaves) and also dicots but not necessarily cacti with those sharp spikes!

......and agaves which surprisingly are unrelated monocotyledons plants which have converged in evolutiob towards forms outwardly similar to genuine cacti!

In simple but extreme terms, we can almost imagine that agaves are “grossly fattened succulent grasses” evolved to take in condensate around the roots and survive rather arid conditions.


Asher
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
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The Church, (in the background with the gold leaf domes), is a popular Catholic Church with a modern very friendly installed set of priests and outreach to the homeless. It has racially the most diverse congregants. But no white gloves for the ladies any more! Still the children and women are in their “Sunday best” and exuberant joy celebrating life is always on their faces!

......and, from time to time, I can be seen bending over flowers in between the coming and going of the faithful!

Asher
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Who would notice?

I do! I look for the rest of the “system”. If tgere’s A plant, with it must come interesting buds, spiders and insects!



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Asher Kelman: Yellow Insects on Cactus​


This is part of a substantial flower stem shown next, below!


Asher
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
A strange plant with a super tall flowering stem!

Cacti are always “unusual” for the British. We associate these with exotic Mexican and Texas landscapes and Tequila!

This cactus I met in the cactus garden is particularly unusual.



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Asher Kelman: Ladybug on Cactus stem



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Asher Kelman: Cactus stem
A Beverly Hills Parking Lot in b.g.




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Asher Kelman: Base Flores of Cactus stem


I promise to get it’s name, but if you can tell me, “Thanks” in advance!


Asher
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
I was just going to ask. So are these native to California? Or from Mexico or elsewhere?
Hi Peter,

I will very shortly add all the names and when I do, I will discover their origins. The garden has just been renewed so they have placed plaques with the Latin and common names.

Asher
 

Jerome Marot

Well-known member
I think it is a plant of the Agave family. The Agaves are native from the Americas. The leaves are typically broad and flat, often with spikes at the sides, grow about a center and the flower starts from that center. After flowering, the plant dies.

That particular flower should be much more impressive in a few days, when it opens.
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Hi, Asher,

Lovely shot!

The color suggests "dusk" lighting.

Best regards,

Doug
Dusk, another reasonable deduction, Doug! My favorite time for photography, usually!

I admit to you I brightened the sky just around the church domes of Gold leaf, thinking it was apt to have the “divine light” shine on this fabulous garden. This is a reflection on the the closeness here of “holiness” of priests and the spines, (of the Cacti and Agave), as “accidental neighbors”!

But here it was still mid afternoon in California. The EXIF should have the exact time and prevents any fibbing! ??

Asher
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Here are further explorations of this beautiful species, The “Argentinian Giant”
In stages we explore the entire plant then close in progressively to the flower which attracts insects especially bees!



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Asher Kelman: Echinopsis candicans
Argentinian Giant # 2



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Asher Kelman: Echinopsis candicans
Argentinian Giant # 3




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Asher Kelman: Echinopsis candicans
Argentinian Giant #4




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Asher Kelman: Echinopsis candicans
Argentinian Giant # 5

Thanks so much for visiting!

Asher
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
A series is in order because this cactus has such a variety of looks and poses, so a single shot can’t do it justice!

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Asher Kelman: Opuntia cacapana ‘Ellisiana’
Spineless Prickly Pear
This spineless variety be a great choice for a garden with infants and pets! I have no idea that puppies get spiked with cactii, but they do scare me a tad!

Asher
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Please reread the first post regularly as it gets updated as I learn more of the botanical diversity!

I invite you to add your own pictures with the common names and if you can the botanical name and interesting facts about your choices!

Thanks for looking!

Asher
 

Doug Kerr

Well-known member
Hi, Asher,

An extraordinary series! And so nice that this fabulous garden is so handy to reach from your base of operations.

It is wonderful to learn of all these different cactus and have a chance to see clearly some of their fascinating details.

And its wondrous to see the work that can be done with your new best friend pocket camera.

Best regards,

Doug
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Doug,

Thanks for your thoughtful visit! I knew you would appreciate some attempt to learn from the garden and not just walk through it!


Hi, Asher,

An extraordinary series! And so nice that this fabulous garden is so handy to reach from your base of operations.

It is wonderful to learn of all these different cactus and have a chance to see clearly some of their fascinating details.


Yes, we are so fortunate to have this amazing investment in the community. I am surprised at the varieties and the host of insects they support.



And its wondrous to see the work that can be done with your new best friend pocket camera.


Doug,

Except we have no telephoto. The iPhone is revolutionary as it’s essentially weightless and one can edit images right there and then.

Notice the different bugs caught by the very sharp lenses.

I have a Macro and wide angle accessor lens set on a clip!

I survey with this and return with my Fuji to make art!

Asher
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Now for more of his hirsute bros:




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Asher Kelman: Oreocereus celsianus
“Old Man Cactus” # 2




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Asher Kelman: Oreocereus celsianus
“Old Man Cactus” #3

Asher
 
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