ALLUAUDIA MONTAGNACII

ALLUAUDIA MONTAGNACII has been collected by M.R. MONTAGNAC, a french collector, who brought this beautiful species in the our collections. W. RAUH described the species in 1961.

The species has a very confined area where it grows. This is near ITAMPOLO, on the south western coast of MADAGASCAR.
ALLUAUDIA PROCERA is growing in the same habitats too.

ALLUAUDIA ASCENDENS has a very similar look. But ALLUAUDIA MONTAGNACII has the growing habit of ALLUAUDIA ASCENDENS and the flowers or inflorescence from ALLUAUDIA PROCERA. Therefore it could be a natural hybrid what has not been proven to this very day.

For me it looks more beautiful and more elegant than ALLUAUDIA ASCENDENS. Its leaflets are smaller and darker green. And the thorns look stronger and longer than those from ALLUAUDIA ASCENDENS. But it could be that my plants are only a variation and are not typical.

My plants are cuttings. When i took them i swallowed the cutting end in charcoal powder and afterwards powdered it carefully with AUXIN or GIBERELLIN ACID. This is a phytohormone or plant hormone or more precise a growing hormone. Scientists and commercial growers use it in plant cell cultures or propagation cultures. This hormone really facilitates the building of new roots. About 4 weeks the cuttings stayed on dry pumice in a warm and shaded place. Then i potted them in my containers with my normal substrate mixture, offered them a warm half shaded half sunny place and sprayed them with warm water as often as i had the time to do so. Of course summer is the best time to do so.

Culture of ALLUAUDIA and all other DIDIEREACEAE is very very easy.
I use my normal substrate.
Water them like you do your cacti. Watering begins when the DIDIEREACEAE show their first leaflets. When they emerge you might not see them for they are very light green coloured and so tiny. Fertilizer is allways added to my water but in very very small amounts.
The growing season begins in April or May. I put my plants out on the balcony when nights temperature might not fall under 15°C. The whole spring, summer and autumn they will stand in full sun. Shade is not a good offer.
When the nights temperature goes under 15°C or maximal 10°C i put the plants inside the house. Normally their leaflets are dark green and the plants are still growing. So watering keeps on going.
When their leaflets are yellowing you will know that the summer is over and no more water will be offered. The temperature in winter should not be under 10°C, maybe 15°C would be better.

As you may have acknowledged the begin of winter and its end cannot be tied upon a months name. As with many succulents the sprouting of their leaflets and leaves tell you when to begin watering and when to end it.

For me it is very easy. I cultivate the DIDIEREACEAE like DISCOCACTUS, MELOCACTUS, MYRTILLOCACTUS, PACHYCEREUS and UEBELMANNIA.

literature

 

 g.d. rowley  DIDIEREACEAE  "CACTI OF THE OLD WORLD"  bcss  1992

 

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