Latin Name: Mammillaria muehlenpfordtii Trade Name: golden pincussion cactus
Priced Each: $3.50 (4-INCH)
Estimate Delivery: November 26. 2008
Mammillaria muehlenpfordtii is a collectible cactus from Mexico. As with most cactus of this genus, spines are arranged short and arranged delicately. Flowers are pink.
M. muehlenpfordtii grows to about 5 inches across and 8 inches in height. Provide light shade and water sparingly. A minimum average temperature of 50°F is suggested.
The genus Mammillaria is one of the largest in the cactus family, with currently 171 known species and varieties recognized. The first was described by Carolus Linnaeus as Cactus mammillaris in 1753, deriving name from Latin mammilla = nipple, referring to tubercules that are one of the plant specific features. In 1812, the cactus specialist Adrian Haworth described the genus Mammillaria to contain this and related species.
The distinctive feature of the genus is the specific development of an areole, that is split into two clearly separated parts, one occurring at the tubercules apex, the other at its base.
Mammillarias have extremely variable spination from specie to specie, and attractive flowers making them specifically collectable for cactus hobbyists. Mammillaria plants are considered easy in cultivation, though some species are among the hardest cacti to grow.