====== Colossus ======
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===== Description =====
There are multiple distinct varieties that have been named "collosus" or "colossus". Therefore a single description of physical traits is not possible.
===== History & Origin =====
There are at least three distinct lineages associated with the name "Colossus" in the cultivation community:
  * **Keeper Trout's Colossus:** The original clone documented by researcher Keeper Trout in his publications.
  * **Ressler's OP Colossus:** A seed-grown line raised from open-pollinated (OP) seed collected from the Colossus specimen housed at the BBG (Berkeley Botanical Garden).
  * **Misplant's Colossus:** A distinct line distributed widely via the Misplant seed bank. Its exact provenance and botanical identity (whether it is a pure *Trichocereus pachanoi* or a hybrid) remain unconfirmed.


=== From Trouts Notes: ===

"Trichocereus collosus Hort. AKA Trichocereus colossus appears to be growing in the Berkeley Botanical Gardens. However, a closer look shows that a plant at this location was grown from Ritter’s Cereus colloseus Bolivia 66.0159 seeds obtained from H. Winter (in Germany) in 1966. Their records also clearly state that the plant at that location is now deceased. (Cereus colloseus is available in horticulture and is most decidedly a Cereus species.) Whatever is now growing in this spot at present is apparently anyone’s guess but most of us have followed Bob Ressler’s lead and refer to it as Trichocereus collosus. The three columns intruding from the left are puquiensis. Its location between T. puquiensis and Peru 65.0729 (both of which have been seen blooming together), the proximity of a sprinkler and the existence of good nurse plants have lead to our speculation that it might be a spontaneous hybrid. It is unlikely anything will ever be known with certainty. This name appears in horticulture but the reality is those plants arose from collected seed. It should be stressed that it actually entered horticulture when a cactus grower pocketed their seed pods from the UC Berkeley Botanical Gardens one September and then distributed some of the resulting seedlings among a number of cactus collectors. As the Trichocereus species are largely self-sterile, these are most likely of an unclear hybrid parentage. This situation is the general case for most Trichocereus seeds nicked from botanical gardens."
===== Community Discussion & Citations =====
//Analysis of the discussion reveals significant distinction between the various plants circulating under the "Colossus" moniker, warning growers not to conflate Misplant's offerings with the historical clone documented by Keeper Trout.//

^ Date ^ Speaker ^ Confidence Score ^ Key Insight/Quote ^
| 2022 (approx) | Byron Fan | 8 | "It's important to note that the colossus going around from Misplant may not be the plant Keeper Trout wrote about in his publication. There's also another colossus going around that was grown from OP seed collected off the plant at the BBG. They both are pretty distinctive from each other" |
| 2023 (approx) | Byron Fan | 8 | "no one really knows for sure (I really hate to speculate since it often leads to the spreading of false info.)" |

===== Credibility Notes =====
Byron Fan was assigned a high confidence score (8/10) due to his detailed knowledge of Trichocereus provenance, his ability to distinguish between the BBG seed-grown line ("Ressler's OP") and the Misplant line, and his responsible refusal to speculate on unverified genetic lineages.