Mammillaria elongata forma mostruosa

Mammillaria elongata forma mostruosa
 Not easily  flowered, this slow growing oddity is rarely seen in cultivation.
 

Description: This monstrous form is characterised by slow growing and almost spineless stems. Only a few spines are produced at the base of new growing stems.  Will form with time an irregular clump of stems.
Stems: Elongated, cylindrical, finger-like, 1 - 3 cm in diameter (but usually shorter than in the standard form).
Roots: Fibrose.
Tubercle: Tubercles flattish, rounded irregularly, arranged in a spiral.  The axil is naked.
Radial spine: Only in the the basal portion of the stems, variable in number, up to 14  arranged as a star, golden yellow, slender, needle-like, up to12 mm long.
Central spine: Usually absent,.
Flower: Flesh coloured, flushed pink, up to 10 mm in length and in diameter.
Blooming season (Europe): Spring.
Fruit: Unknown.
 

Cultivation: This rare cultivar is slow growing and tricky to cultivate.  It will form quite large clumps of several  offsets, if given time and grown properly. Water regularly from spring through fall, but do not over-water (rot prone).  Let soil become moderately dry between thorough waterings.  In winter, keep dry or water only enough to keep the plants from shriveling. Use pot with good drainage and a very porous potting media.  Newly potted plants should not be fertilized for a year; established plants should be fertilized once each spring  with a high potassium fertilizer.
It is quite frost resistant if kept dry, hardy as low as -4° C.  Outside full sun or afternoon shade, inside needs bright light, and some direct sun, but high levels of light will encourage tight growth and flowering.
 

Propagation: This species produce clumps of young plants at the base of the main stem, these can be removed at any time of the year. It can also be grown from seed.

Scientific name:  Mammillaria elongata DC.
Rev. Fam. Cact. in Mém. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris 17: 109 (1828) forma mostruosa

Origin:  Garden origin (Nursery produced cultivar)

Conservation status: Listed in CITES appendix 2.

Common Names include: Monstrous Lady Fingers, Monstrous Golden Star Cactus

• Neomammillaria elongata (DC.) Britton & Rose
  Cact. 4:134. 1923
• Cactus elongatus
• Leptocladodia elongata
• Krainzia elongata
• Chilita elongata

It is almost spineless with only a few yellow spines produced at the base of new growing stems.

Photo of conspecific taxa, varieties, forms and cultivars of Mammillaria elongata.

• Mammillaria elongata cv. Copper King
• Mammillaria elongata forma mostruosa

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