Description: This is a very
nice crested Mammillaria, easily recognizable for its soft
woolly hairy spines.
Stem: Blue-green almost completely concealed by the spines
coating, it can form in age a large convoluted mound.
Spines: Radials 30-50 , white, hairlike, 8 - 20 mm long, with
one, occasionally two, short hooked centrals , reddish brown, 5 - 10 mm
long.
Flowers: Funnel-form, creamy white to pinkish, 13 - 22 mm (0.5 -
0.9 in) long, up to 15 mm (0.6 in) in diameter, in spring and summer.
Fruit: Cylindrical, rosy-pink to red, 2,5 cm long in summer.
Cultivation: It is a
rapid growing crest that do very
well on is own roots . Water regularly in summer, but do
not overwater (Rot prone)
Use pot with good drainage and a very porous potting media,
keep dry in winter.
Feed with a high potassium
fertilizer in summer.
It is quite frost resistant if kept dry, hardy as low as -5° C. Outside full sun or
afternoon shade, inside needs bright light, and some direct sun.
A big clump can be produced in a very few years.
The grafted
plants are easy to grow and will form a large brain-like mounds
with age. Watering during the active growing season (spring and
summer); this will encourage steady growth, and prevent the tubercles from becoming flabby .
Propagation: Grafting or
division of larger clumps in spring or summer. |