Mammillarias.net

Mammillaria blossfeldiana

First description by Boedeker, Monatsschr. Deutsche Kakt.-Ges. 3: 209 (1931)

Body: Plants usually solitary, occasionnally forming small clumps. Stems globose to short cylindrical, gray-green, to 5 cm (2 in) high, 3 - 4 cm (1.2 - 1.6 in) in diameter.

Roots:

Sap: without latex.

Tubercule arrangement:

Tubercule: Short conical.

Axil: with scanty wool.

Radial spine: 15 - 20, yellow with dark tips, 5 - 7 mm (0.2 - 0.3 in) long.

Central spine: 4, dark brown to black, 10 - 12 mm (0.4 - 0.5 in) long, lowermost one erect and hooked, upper ones straight.

Flower: Funnelform, white with rose to carmine red midveins, to 20 mm (0.8 in) long, 20 - 40 mm (0.8 - 1.6 in) in diameter.

Fruit: Club shaped, orange-red.

Seed: Black, pitted.

Flowering period in Cultivation (Europe):

Minimum temperature:

Habitat Substrate: Flat, hot, dry desert, in decomposing granite and gravelly soil.

Geographic Distribution: Baja California, Mexico. Altitude below 50 m.

Comments: Like most hooked spined species from Baja California, this species is prone to rotting if watering is not conservative. The careful grower will be rewarded with generous numbers of large white and pink flowers. Use very open potting soil to extend the life of this species.

Bibliography: <br>John Pilbeam (1999) - Mammillaria The Cactus File Handbook - page 50. <br>Edward F. Anderson (2001) - The Cactus Family - page 408.

Synonymes: <br>M. blossfeldiana var shurliana <br>M. shurliana