Mammillaria lenta

Mammillaria lenta is an attractive and rewarding cactus with dense criss-crossing white spines
The slow growth rate but offsetting habit and unusual large flowers make it one of the most sought-after species and it is often a show winner.

Photo & © copyright by Irwin Lightstone Images may not be copied, downloaded, or used in any way without the expressed, written permission of the photographer.

Description:  Mammillaria lenta is a very slow growing succulent that branch basally to form quite large flat-topped mounds of off-white to white with age. Some plants will begin to offset when just a few cm across, while others are more reluctant to produce offsets. Slower growing than the somewhat similar M. plumosa
Stems: Flattened globular (or small columnar in cultivation), bright green to yellow green, typically (3-) 5 to 10 cm in diameter, 1 – 2 (or more) cm high. Offsets may be produced low on the plant, or unusually high near the growing tip.
Roots: Large, tuberous.
Sap: Without latex.
Parastichy number: 13 - 21
Tubercle: Slender conical, somewhat firm.
Axil: With short, persistant wool and some bristles.
Radial spine: 30 - 40, dense, fine, soft and close together giving the effect of looking likea bird's nest, glassy white to slightly yellow, 3 - 7 mm long.
Central spine: Absent.
Flower: Produces rings of large pure white flowers with a purplish-pinkish stripe, 20(-25) mm long and 25 mm in diameter. Stigmas bright olive-green.
Blooming season: April/May. Flowering may be reluctant unless it is placed in a warm position with high light levels.
Fruit: Club shaped, red, to 10 mm long.
Seed: Black.
 

Cultivation: It is a  slow growing  species.  Use pot with good drainage and a very porous mineral-based potting mix. Pot plants are quite wet-sensitively and easy to rot if over water, especially in winter,  keep dry in winter. Water sparingly during the growing season, keep very dry in winter.  Feed with a high potassium fertilizer  in summer.
Usually it is recommended to overwinter this plant in a bright and warm greenhouse with at least 8-10° C , but it proved to be quite frost resistant (if kept dry it hardy as low as -5° C) Outside full sun or afternoon shade, inside needs bright light, and some direct sun. Some plants will offset readily, and clumps can be produced in a very few years.

Propagation: Direct  sow after last frost, cuttings or grafting.

Scientific name:  Mammillaria lenta

First description by K. Brandegee, Zoe 5: 194 (1904)

Origin:  Geographic Distribution: Coahuila, Mexico.

Habitat:  It grows and clump in rock cracks. Altitude 900 - 1.400 m.

Conservation status: Listed in CITES appendix 2.

Synonyms:

• Neomammillaria lenta
• Chilita lenta
• Escobariopsis lenta

Photo & © copyright by Irwin Lightstone Images may not be copied, downloaded, or used in any way without the expressed, written permission of the photographer.