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Mammillaria spinosissima "rubrispina"
Red spine selection.
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Description: Columnar plants, usually
solitary but
they can form pups on old plants. M.
spinosissima is very variable due to its wide area of origin in Mexico.
The color of the spines vary from red or rust to white. The “rubrispina”
selection forms nice clumps of columns,
densely spined with bright coppery red spines.
Stem: Cylindrical, dark blue-green, rarely exceeding 30 cm in
height, 6 - 7 (10 cm) cm in diameter. Without latex.
Parastichy: 13 - 21
Tubercle: Ovate conical, four-sided basally.
Axil: Slightly woolly.
Radial spine: 20 - 25, white, bristle-like, 4 - 6 mm long.
Central spine: 12 - 15, copper-red, stronger than the radials and
thicker at the base, straight, 10 - 12 mm long.
Flower: Vivid purple/ red to deep pink, 12 mm long and in
diameter, encircling the columnar stems.
Blooming season (Europe): Late winter and spring,
Fruit: Purplish red or greenish.
Seed: Brown.
Taxonomy notes:
- The subspecies 'spinosissima' only
rarely grows higher than 30cm. It has dirty white to coppery red
spines and does not have bristles in the axils most of the time.
- The subspecies 'tepoxlana' has yellow
spines.
- The subspecies 'pilcayensis' has whiter
spines, and the stems can grow
up to 50cm long/high. It might have some latex/bristles in the
axils.
The flowers are purple-pink on all subspecies
Point of interest: The Mammillaria spinosissima “rubrispina”
also known as the "Red-headed Irishman" has very attractive
copper/red coloured spines and is one of the
most beautiful Mammillarias.
Cultivation: Its qualities and ease of cultivation justify that it
is an old favorite. It doesn't
requires any special treatment, but needs as
much light as possible (without burning the
plant) to encourage the heaviest spine
formation. Regular water in summer, dry in winter. Frost tolerance: -4°
C.
Propagation: Seeds or
offsets.
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Family:
Cactaceae (Cactus
Family) |
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Scientific name: Mammillaria
spinosissima Lemaire.
Pubblished in: Cact. Aliq. Nov. 4 (1838)
forma "rubrispina" (Red spines selection)
Common Names include: Red Headed Irishman
Origin:
Garden origin (Nursery
produced selection)
Conservation status: Listed in
CITES appendix 2.
Bibliography:
John Pilbeam (1999) - Mammillaria The Cactus File Handbook - page 278.
Edward F. Anderson (2001) - The Cactus Family - page 444. |
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Synonyms:
- Mammillaria polycentra Berg
In: Allg. Gartenz.8:130. 1840
- Mammillaria auricoma Dietrich
In: Allg. Gartenz. 14:308. 1846
- Mammillaria polyacantha Ehrenberg
in: Allg. Gartenz. 16:265. 1848
- Mammillaria polyactina Ehrenberg
In: Allg. Gartenz. 16:266. 1848
- Mammillaria epatica Eremberg
In: Allg. Gartenz.16:267. 1848
- Mammillari pomacea Ehremberg
In: Allg. Gartenz. 17:249. 1849
- Mammillaria pulcherrima Ehrenberg
In: Allg.Gartenz. 17:249. 1849
- Mammillaria pretiosa Ehrenberg
In: Allg. Gartenz. 17:250. 1849
- Cactus spinosissimus
- Neomammillaria spinosissima
- Mammillaria centraliplumosa
- Mammillaria centraliplumosa var gracilis
- Mammillaria machucae
- Mammillaria virginis
- Mammillaria gasterantha
- Mammillaria kladiwae
Hort
- Mammillaria heermannii var. flavicans
- Mammillaria haasii
- Mammillaria flava
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Vivid
purple flowers encircle the columns of bright copper-red in late winter
and spring, providing a startling contrast.
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Photo of conspecific taxa, varieties, forms and cultivars of
Mammillaria spinosissima
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Cultivation
and Mail Sale 