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Mammillaria bocensis

First description by Craig, Mamm. Handb. 56, fig. 38 (1945)

Body: Plants mostly solitary, occasionnally clustering with age. Stems depressed globose to short cylindrical, dark green with reddish to purplish tinge, 8 - 9 cm (3.1 - 3.5 in) high and in diameter.

Roots:

Sap: with latex.

Tubercule arrangement: 8 - 13, but also 13 - 21

Tubercule: Firm, pyramidal, keeled.

Axil: With some white wool or naked.

Radial spine: 6 - 8, needle-like, chalky white to reddish with darker tips, 5 - 14 mm long.

Central spine: 1, reddish brown with dark tip, straight to slightly curving, 8 - 15 mm (0.3 - 0.6 in) long.

Flower: Wide funnelform, pale pink to greenish, with brownish midveins, 15 - 20 mm (0.6 - 0.8 in) long.

Fruit: Thick, club shaped, red.

Seed: Light brown.

Flowering period in Cultivation (Europe):

Minimum temperature: -4° C.

Habitat Substrate: In salty flats of coastal plain, deep-seated under bushes and adjacent to the beach

Geographic Distribution: Sonora, Sinaloa, Jalisco and Nayarit, Mexico. Altitude from almost sealevel to 900 m.

Comments: Capable of forming large clumps, this species has no particular special demands, except patience. Growth is enhanced by repotting at regular intervals, but the grower should not try to force faster growth with too frequent watering and fertilizer. Does not require the very strongest light in the greenhouse, but flowering will benefit from high light levels.

Bibliography: <br>John Pilbeam (1999) - Mammillaria The Cactus File Handbook - page 53. <br>Edward F. Anderson (2001) - The Cactus Family - page 409.

Synonymes: <br>M. bocensis var movasana <br>M. bocensis var rubida <br>M. neoschwarzeana <br>M. rubida