Mammillaria lasiacantha

Mammillaria lasiacantha 
Fully grown, this species is only about 2 to 3 cm tall. It has small, almost friendly spines.
The flowers are cream-white with brownish-red stripe in late winter or early spring.
 

Mammillaria lasiacantha  SB255
Eddy County, New Mexico, USA
 

Description:  Plants usually unbranched or slowly clustering,, deep-seated in substrate and inconspicuous.
Stems:  Depressed-spheric to short cylindric, 1-3.5cm wide × 1,5-7 cm tall. axils bare;
Roots: Diffuse not enlarged.
Spines: 40-80 per areole, in several series but all equally thin, mostly appressed, white or very pale pink, often minutely tipped pinkish brown, innocuous, bristlelike, 0,5-6 mm, glabrous to plumose, all interpreted as radial, innermost spines shortest; No central spines.
Flowers: 1-2,5 cm; white or cream, usually with sharply defined midstripes of green, yellow, tan, pink, pale purple, or reddish, blooming from January to March
Fruits: Scarlet, cylindric or clavate, 10-25 mm long with floral remnant persistent ripening in June August.

NOTE: Adults of Mammillaria lasiacantha usually have glabrous spines, but in some populations all plants may retain plumose spines at maturity.
 

Cultivation: This plant has not the fame to be easy to cultivate, but in good conditions with excellent ventilation, it grows without difficulty. It is especially sensitive to overwatering. So careful watering and an open mineral potting soil are a must. Avoid the use of peat or other humus sources in the potting mixture. Don't add limestone to the potting mix which must be moderately acidic. Can be sensitive to frost (but if dry they are resistant to -5° C). Requires maximum sun exposure to reach its full potential and  to achieve success in flowering. A winter rest that allows the plant to shrivel (perhaps losing up to 25% of its summer height) will encourage flowering and long time survival. Be careful to encourage slow growth. Provide very good ventilation.

Propagation: Direct sow after last frost. (it usually doesn't  produces offsets).

Family: Cactaceae (Cactus Family)

Sientific name: Mammillaria lasiacantha Engelmann
Published in: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts. 3: 261. 1856 (as Mamillaria).

Origin: USA (Texas, New Mexico), Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Sonora, Zacatecas).

Habitat: Chihuahuan desert scrub with Agave lechuguilla, rocky hills, gravelly slopes, usually on limestone. 500-2100 m.

• Mammillaria lasiandra var. denudata
• Chilita lengdobleriana
• Ebnerella lasiacantha
• Mammillaria lengdobleriana
• Mammillaria neobertrandiana
• Cactus lasiacanthus var. denudatus
• Chilita denudata
• Neomammillaria denudata
• Ebnerella denudata
• Mammillaria denudata
• Escobariopsis lasiacantha
• Neomammillaria lasiacantha
• Cactus lasiacanthus
• Chilita lasiacantha

Mammillaria sp. SB500 (lasiacantha) Cuatrocienagas
This is a very small form with feathery spines.

M. lasiacantha SB500 forma cristata

Photo of conspecific taxa, varieties, forms and cultivars of the Lasiacanthae group. (This taxon has lots of synonyms  whit several controversial varieties and subspecies)

• Mammillaria lasiacantha
• Mammillaria egregia (Syn: M. lasiacantha ssp. egregia)
• Mammillaria magallanii (Syn: M. lasciacantha magallanii)
• Mammillaria neobertrandiana (syn: M. lasiacantha)
• Mammillaria wohlslageri (Syn: M. lasciacantha subsp. hyaline)