Thorny lent

I received from Brs. Paul and Jun some pots of cacti (or if you want it anglicize, cactuses) after their trip to Baguio. Baguio is in the northern part of Luzon and is known to be the summer capital of the country. But we'll not go there for our summer break. It will be somewhere in the south of Luzon. But that would be another entry.

Baguio is known for its flourishing flora. And ornamental plants are sold there like anything. I pleaded to Paul and Jun if they could get for me cactus as I am starting a "cactinarium" (it's a coined word, please credit me for it). And you know what? They happily obliged! They brought home not only one or two or three but five kinds of the species.

This one is not part of the 'present' since I got this from our backyard. I shoveled some little grits sprinkled them around the cactus.

Now, I'm sure you want to see some photos. I'm ready for them. Here they are:

Now, my problem is how to properly identify them. Anyway, Br. Jomar who is heavy in preparing for his de universa this Friday is very much agog to help me as we browse over photos and try to decode the polymaistic scientific names of cactus provided in the web. And as of this writing, we are failing.

This one is interesting since it bears flower. And what is more interesting is that its flower closest in the afternoon, and blooms again the following day.

The moment I arranged them all on our circular table, I gasped because of their beauty. The Gardener who 'planted' them must have been really 'most splendidly magnificent' since despite willing these cacti to have spikes and thorns and needles and all, they still communicate His beauty.