Mammillarias.net

Mammillaria compressa ssp compressa

First description by De Candolle, Mem. Mus. Nat. Hist. Paris 17: 112 (1828)

Body: Plants solitary at first, later forming massive clumps to 1 m (3.3 ft) wide. Stems club shaped to cylindrical, bluish gray-green, to 20 cm (7.9 in) high, 5 - 10 cm (2 - 3.9 in) in diameter.

Roots:

Sap: With latex.

Tubercule arrangement:

Tubercule: Close set, firm, bluntly angled, keeled.

Axil: With wool and bristles.

Radial spine: 4 - 6, unequal, chalky white with brownish tips, 20 - 70 mm (0.8 - 2.8 in) long, some very short.

Central spine: Absent.

Flower: Bell shaped, purplish pink, 10 - 15 mm (0.4 - 0.6 in) long.

Fruit: Club shaped, red.

Seed: Brown.

Flowering period in Cultivation (Europe):

Minimum temperature:

Habitat Substrate:

Geographic Distribution: Hidalgo, Queretaro, Mexico. Altitude 1.300 - 2.240 m.

Comments: Needs lots and lots of space to grow. A robust species that will form large clumps rather rapidly when compared to other Mammillaria species. To have the best appearance, it should be kept growing on in a regular fashion, with the usual rest in winter. No special requirements.

Bibliography:
John Pilbeam (1999) - Mammillaria The Cactus File Handbook - page 76.
Edward F. Anderson (2001) - The Cactus Family - page 412.

Synonymes:
M. angularis
M. bernalensis
M. esseriana
M. tolimensis