Kenneth (KQ): (Grins) Which diagnosis? The RA diagnosis was in 1974, 4 years after the onset. In 1979, the associated Sjogren's Syndrome. In 1989 I developed neurological symptoms, first diagnosed as multiple sclerosis but possibly a very rare complication of the RA. In 1995 came fibromyalgia. Many RA people know what I mean when I say that RA is more than a joint disease, many parts of the body get affected.
But as to the cacti and succulents, I started growing them seriously in 1992. By the way, I mostly grow succulents other than cacti, and the cacti I do grow are the "jungle cacti".
DP: Ken, for the sake of those readers who may be confused by talking about cacti and succulents, would you please explain the difference? For example, if a person walks into their local nursery, how would they know a plant was a succulent rather than a cactus, especially when so many are mislabeled?
KQ: All cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are cacti. Succulents are plants that have had one or more parts modified to store water or reduce its loss. In the case of cacti, the leaves have become spines and the stem modified to store water as well as carry on photosynthesis.
Succulents can be found in practically all families of plants, even orchids! Many places sell succulents without labels or with the wrong labels, so it's a good idea to consult a book. One thing can cause confusion with cacti - the large genus Euphorbia contains a number of plants that are very good mimics of cacti. Many euphorbias have a milky sap, which is both toxic and irritating to the skin; this is one way to tell them apart from cacti.
DP: Ken, I've collected cacti off and on for about 9 years now. I did not know that the spines were modified leaves. Always wondered about that! What was there about cacti and succulents that attracted you?
KQ: Getting attracted is easy to explain! The exotic shapes and for cacti, the flowers are magnets for plant lovers. The real qusetion is why did I become a collector of them. Again, the diversity of shapes is a pawerful attractant! As I become more unable to take care of my plants on a daily basis, I appreciate more and more that they can go days and even weeks without attention. Something else that has played a role is the fact that there are a good number of mail order dealers in cacti and succulents - in fact, I never have had a bad experience with them - and the plants are very easy to ship,
Go To Page: 1 2
