Huernia Procumbens

Day 327: I live in a hours divided. The hoyas occupy the east and north facing windows of the living room (actually, it's more like NE and SE), and the cacti are mostly all crammed onto a shelf in the small south (SW) window of the Loom Room where they can receive the greatest amount of light. The Loom Room tends to be cooler as well, especially in winter, i.e., the best possible situation I can provide in order to bring them into bloom. The largest two, Huernia procumbens (Pointed Star Lifesaver Plant, above) and Epiphyllum oxypetalum (Night-Blooming Cereus), are in hanging baskets above normal eye level when I'm seated at the loom. Huernia's stars sometimes escape my notice until they've faded. I always feel a little guilty when I find a dried-up one among the stems. This one almost eluded me, since it appeared on the side of the cactus facing the window. If I hadn't brought the plant down for a pruning, I might not have seen it. While not as colourful as Huernia zebrina, the flowers of this species still look as if they'd eat you alive if they were only bigger.