BCSS Macclesfield & East Cheshire Branch

Newsletter December 2005 - Another Book for Christmas

Ferocactus, John Pilbeam and Derek Bowdery. (BCSS, 2005) £32 (inc. delivery). £29 if collected at BCSS events e.g. AGM, Exec, etc This book, though published by the BCSS, is very much a continuation, in a similar style and quality, of the well-known Cactus File series of Handbooks that have previously covered such genera as Copiapoa, Rebutia, Mammillaria etc. After brief introductory sections on Classification, Key to Species, Cultivation, Geography & Distribution, the bulk of the book is taken up by an alphabetic description of each recognised species (25 + subspecies – which is a few less than most recent treatments of the genus). The descriptions are of the typical format, with accompanying small distribution map, that will be familiar to anyone who possesses any of the previous Handbooks. Each is accompanied by very high quality photographs, primarily of plants in habitat, though with some in cultivation. Some of these are truly stunning and a great strength of the book. I ordered this book pre-publication from John Pilbeam himself. Having slowly expanded the Ferocactus part of my own collection, including the sowing this year of some seed obtained from Köhres in Germany, I was already “hooked”. Considering the dearth of easily accessible and focused literature on Ferocacti, this was always going to be a “must have” for me, especially considering the pedigree of the authors and the known quality of previous Handbooks. The attraction of most Ferocacti is their strongly defined ribs which, in nearly all cases, are armed with pretty formidable spination – even if in culture it does not quite approach the splendid armament of habitat plants. So, this is certainly a book that will appeal to the more masochistic of cactophiles. As they are far from being miniatures (as the common name “barrel cacti” implies), aiming for a reasonable range of Ferocacti in one’s own collection does mean accommodating potentially substantial and ever-expanding plants, that will reward you with a vicious, blood-letting struggle every time you repot them. However, being a fully paid up member of the masochistic cactophile tendency, I am not put off (yet) and this book was not a disappointment. So, will it appeal to a less committed Ferocactophile? Well, even if you are not convinced about giving them valuable space in your own greenhouse, you may still wish to (safely) marvel at their awesome splendour in habitat, and you will definitely not be disappointed by the photographs. If I had one quibble, I do wonder whether it might have been a good idea to have extended the brief of the book a little, by also including the relatively few species of Echinocactus. Outwardly they share similar characteristics, and E. grusonii is probably more common in most people’s collection than any single Ferocactus. It might have broadened the appeal of the book a little more, and simultaneously dealt with a genus that is unlikely to ever justify and get its own handbook treatment. However, the downside of this would have been increased costs and, admittedly, some may already baulk a little at the price of this relatively slim volume, though this undoubtedly reflects the printing quality and the likely size of the market, and not an impending fortune for Messrs. Pilbeam & Bowdery. But maybe it is just the right time of year to helpfully nudge someone in the direction of being a little extravagant on your behalf!!

Malcolm Lyon