I'd be willing to bet that this is a cactus. I have a crown of thorns and other Euphorbias and this doesn't look ANYTHING like them. It was sold as a cactus back when I bought it (but I've lost the name tag long ago.) The needles grow in clusters (about an inch between each cluster) of 3 or more. If I'd never topped it, it would be over 14 feet tall now. I would take a pic of it, but I have an indoor jungle and it's back in a far corner where I can't get a good shot of it. I have plants growing in about every window and, in my southern facing windows (where this cactus is at) the plants are three pots deep from the window. In this same window I have two hibiscus trees(and more as bushes), an Oleander and a citrus tree all growing taller than me, as well as smaller bananas, a jasmine bush and an Australian Bluebell bush (and many smaller plants.) I have another room that's half filled with plants. It won't be until later Spring when I can put most of these other plants outside that I can get a good photo shot of it. Thanks!

Oooh decumbent...? I felt all reckless and colloquial when I swyped the word "procumbent" and wondered how inexact I was being! Thanks for the lesson :) There is a piece of stenocereus eruca that has been creeping about on the ground at work for a few years. Definitely with growth tip curved up. Definitely something I've thought about picking up since it recently broke in half... If I had two inch cowhide for hands. -Ming

Thanks for the thoughts hoovb. The discoloured areas seem fairly firm. I actually cut a small piece off in an area that I didn't think would be very noticeable and it doesn't look like it is rotten. This cactus already has a few marks that developed over the years, but this time it's different because the discolouration is showing up in quite a few areas and it all appeared this summer. I really think it is something that I'm doing, but don't know if fertilizer could cause markings such as these or not. That's all I can think of other than it getting too much water because of being repotted into a larger pot, and perhaps the soil mix is staying wet for too long.

those cactus gloves are about the best invention for moving large cacti I have ever come across... have a pair I got at a local cactus show (but not seen them since). I have moved many large ferocacti, Saguaros (nothing bigger than two people could not pick up), large Euphorbias and myriad other Cereus-type cacti, and these gloves make it quite easy to pick up and move these plants without getting poked or hurting even the patina (like on Pilosocereus) on the plants. They are super simple in construction and if someone spent some time, I think they could be much better still (like have a separate area for the thumb to go into). ONe cactus they did not help with was Pereskia (thorns just too long and too sharp) but that is the only cactus in which the spines get through the gloves. I have used many other techniques, too, from slings made of hose material, large bags of wadded up newspaper, rugs, thick leather gloves (NOT a good choice for moving cacti for many reasons, by the way) etc. and these cactus gloves work the best. I wish I had bought a bunch of them and resold them. When I did get them I pretty much expected them to be worthless as so many other gimmicky things are.. very pleasant surprise this time.