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Remote areas: | 3-5 business days |
Mammillaria is arguably the most popular cactus genus in cultivation. Mammillarias have extremely variable spination from species to species, and eye-catching flowers, making them specifically attractive for cactus hobbyists. Most Mammillaria plants are considered easy to cultivate. The genus Mammillaria is one of the largest in the Cactaceae family, with currently over 200 known species and varieties recognized. Mammillarias are native to Mexico, southwest USA, the Caribbean, Colombia, Venezuela, Guatemala and Honduras. The first was described by Carolus Linnaeus as Cactus mammillaris in 1753, deriving its name from Latin mammilla, "nipple", referring to the tubercles that are one of the plant's specific features.
Mammillaria rhodantha, more commonly known as the Rainbow Pincushion, was first described by Link & Otto in 1829. Synonyms include Mammillaria droegeana, Mammillaria fuscata, Mammillaria rhodantha var. droegeana, Mammillaria calacantha, Mammillaria pringlei, Mammillaria bonavitii, Cactus rhodanthus and Neomammillaria rhodantha. This species can be solitary or grow in clumps. The globose to cylindrical stems are dark green in colour and grow up to 30 cm in height and 12 cm in diameter. The purple to red flowers occur from spring, right through summer and into autumn. This species can endure temperatures of down to -4°C. Mammillaria rhodantha var. rubrum is a red spined variety of Mammillaria rhodantha. |