By Peter Lapshin, Moscow, Russia
Translated into English by Irina Ten (Virginia, USA)

Фото 7. Blossfeldia liliputana

Фото 8. Austrocylindropuntia cylindrica

Фото 9. Neoporteria gerocephala f. monstrosa

In the article we would like to introduce you abnormal forms of cacti from the collection of Nikitsky Botanical Garden. The pictures were taken in July, 2003.

Cactus Greenhouse is a part of State Nikitsky Botanical Garden in Nikita village that is located to the East of Yalta town on the Southern seashore of the Crimea (see map, Fig. 1). Our magazine has already reported on Nikitsky Botanical Garden in the 21nd issue: "Nikitsky Botanical Garden – National Scientific Center". You can also read an article by Eugene Yerokhin in the current issue: "Cactus Greenhouse of Nikitsky Botanical Garden", in which the author tells about some unique plants from the cacti collection and share the experience of their cultivation in the Crimea climate.

In the main plant collection of Nikitsky Botanical Garden there are over 28 thousand of species grown indoors and outdoors. The cacti collection includes 600 species, varieties and forms, the succulents' collection – over 400 taxa.

Olga Goncharova is in charge of the greenhouse and Vera Novikova is a curator of the scientific collection. Nikitsky Botanical Garden concentrates on demonstrating species from wild nature, so there is a very small room for abnormal forms but they are still present. Their purpose is to show the diversity of species in succulent world.

The main part of cristates is held indoors. Abnormal forms were detected among seedlings or cuttings of the garden or purchased. They are kept in general collection, most of them grafted, others – on their own roots.

Cactus greenhouse of Nikitsky Botanical Garden has the website www.lapshin.org/nikita. There you can make a virtual tour of the parks, of the indoor and outdoor expositions of cacti and other succulents (called "Cacti Yard"), or see the vast photo gallery of selected succulent plants.