Fruiting Epithelantha micromeris, take two

A few weeks ago I posted on my fruit bearing Epithelantha micromeris (SB1327; near Belen, New Mexico) plants. The color of the fresh fruit is a bright pinkish red that changes to a deep, warm, saturated blood red color as the fruit dries.


Epithelantha micromeris with dry fruits

In close-up the Epithelantha micromeris fruits are strangely reminiscent of small (weirdly colored ;-) cacao pods.


Close-up of dry Epithelantha micromeris fruits

When the last rays of the setting autumn sun shine on the fruits they assume an out of this world, glowing warm red color. I tried to capture it in the photo below but it doesn't quite do justice to the shimmering, radiant quality of the color (as should be evident by now I'm a sucker for the amazing palette of red nuances displayed by these little fruits ;-)


Fruits lit by the setting sun

Copenhagen Botanical Garden revisited

The first weekend of September I visited Copenhagen Botanical Garden again. As described earlier the garden has a cactus house open to the general public as well as a propagation house that you can't enter. Flowering and otherwise interesting plants are put on display close to the entrance of the propagation house so even though you can't enter you still have a chance to enjoy some of the gems hidden away inside this house. An example is the beautiful flowering Ariocarpus fissuratus pictured below.


Flowering Ariocarpus fissuratus


Ariocarpus fissuratus flower

Lots of interesting plants are on display inside the publicly accessible cactus house. I especially fell for the lone Ariocarpus retusus tucked away among some larger plants.


Ariocarpus retusus


Ariocarpus retusus seen from above

Another beauty growing among much larger plants is a (slightly dehydrated) Astrophytum asterias.


Astrophytum asterias

The cactus house holds a large collection of Mammillaria as for example this Mammillaria prolifera var. texana that certainly lives up to its name.


Mammillaria prolifera var. texana

Back in the propagation house a group of Strombocactus disciformis was also on display. The plants are growing in rocks mimicking their natural habitat.


Strombocactus disciformis

My previous post on the Copenhagen Botanical Garden & Museum featured several pictures of the greenhouses so I won't bring any here except for a photo showing the top of the main greenhouse reflected in the water lilly pool in front of it.


Greenhouse reflected in the water lilly pool