My cactus identification skills suck

I have been keeping cacti and succulents since 1999. That was since from the last millennium. But the only survivor from that era is a clump of Haworthiopsis limifolia, which has proven almost as indestructible as cockroaches. I remember myself beginning to get enamored at that time by species orchids and pitcher plants too. And then two years later I became acquainted in the tangled world of Hoya, which I repeatedly studied in their natural habitat during my formative years as an amateur botanist. By 2007 I was writing articles about Philippine orchid species, their taxonomy and cultivation, in publications here and abroad. Some years later I found myself working with Nepenthes too, and a few hoyas. And as my interest with these three plant groups flourished, my Amorphophallus and Begonia collection increased in size quite steadily, along with quite a few other genera. All that time my interest with cacti and succulents has ebbed and flowed and for the most part has occupied the farthest back seat. Think of a bus, not of a car.

About three (or almost four) years ago, I finally figured out why I kept on failing with succulent cultivation, and since last year I am more focused on them than ever before. But their identification is still a struggle to me, especially with regards to cacti. Take these two plants, as an example. These are seed-grown (but unlabelled) and both about 5 years of age. The hooked spines pointed to Ferocactus, and that is what I originally referred these plant to. But that is not the only genus with hooked spines. Glandulicactus also have hooked spines, even at least two series or groups within Mammillaria. And while browsing the web for some cacti photos, I came across Glandulicactus uncinatus, juvenile plants of which showed strong resemblance to my two little monsters. And so I started calling them by that name, until 2 fellow cactophiles- Arb del Mundo and Gromyko Semper- suggested Ferocactus rectispinus. Research into that taxon confirmed their identification, and the irony is that my former hunch that these were ferocacti were correct after all.

With orchids, I would often grab a magnifying glass so I can have a look at the ornaments in their labella; with Nepenthes, it's with their lid glands; with Hoya it's with the corona morphology; and with begonias it's in the shape of the capsules. Lately, I found a need for me to count cactus spines per areole but it does not seem to be enough. I need a more refined eye with cacti.

At any rate, Ferocactus rectispinus, I read, can grow wicked spines to 10 inches long, and is one of the very few ferocacti that produce straight spines. Hooked spines are produced only by hard-headed juveniles. Mature plants are said to reach heights of two meters. And so in the future (assuming that I'm still around at that time), I'll have two literally untouchable plants masquerading as giant hybrids of fat cucumbers and green porcupines. Hopefully, my cactus identification skills have advanced by that time, too. Or I might as well keep roses instead.