Mammillaria pseudoalamensis

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Since 4 Aug 2013

Mammillaria pseudoalamensis Backeb.
Cactus (Paris) No. 37, 210 (1953); cf. Gray Herb. Card Cat.
Family: CACTACEAE

Accepted Scientific Name: Mammillaria grahamii subs. sheldonii (Britton & Rose) D.R.Hunt
Cactaceae Syst. Init. 20: 21. 2005 [Nov 2005]

Mammillaria pseudoalamensis Photo by: Valentino Vallicelli
Now often considered a synonym of Mammillaria sheldonii, to which it shows only modest differences: absence of central spines and larger flowers with a characteristic distinctive orange pistil.

Origin and Habitat: West of Alamos, Sonora, Mexico.

Synonyms:

Mammillaria pseudoalamensis Backeb.

See all synonyms of Mammillaria grahamii

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Accepted name in llifle Database:
Mammillaria grahamii Engelm.
Syn. Cact. U. S. 6. 1856 Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 3: 262. 1857
Synonymy: 26

Mammillaria grahamii Engelm.

Cactus grahamii (Engelm.) Kuntze
Chilita grahamii (Engelm.) Orcutt
Cochemiea grahamii (Engelm.) Doweld
Coryphantha grahamii (Engelm.) Rydb.
Mammillaria microcarpa subs. grahamii (Engelm.) Mottram
Mammillaria milleri var. grahamii (Engelm.) Neutel.

Mammillaria microcarpa Engelm. in Emory

Chilita microcarpa (Engelm. in Emory) Buxb.
Ebnerella microcarpa (Engelm. in Emory) Buxb.
Neomammillaria microcarpa (Engelm. in Emory) Britton & Rose

Mammillaria microcarpa var. auricarpa W.T.Marshall

Mammillaria microcarpa f. auricarpa (W.T.Marshall) Neutel.
Mammillaria milleri f. auricarpa (W.T.Marshall) Neutel.

Mammillaria microcarpa f. cristata hort.
Mammillaria milleri (Britton & Rose) Boed.

Chilita milleri (Britton & Rose) Orcutt
Mammillaria microcarpa var. milleri (Britton & Rose) W.T.Marshall
Neomammillaria milleri Britton & Rose

Mammillaria oliviae Orcutt

Chilita oliviae (Orcutt) Orcutt
Ebnerella oliviae (Orcutt) Buxb.
Mammillaria grahamii var. oliviae (Orcutt) L.D.Benson
Mammillaria microcarpa f. oliviae (Orcutt) Neutel.
Mammillaria milleri f. oliviae (Orcutt) Neutel.
Neomammillaria oliviae (Orcutt) Britton & Rose

Accepted name in llifle Database:
Mammillaria grahamii subs. sheldonii (Britton & Rose) D.R.Hunt
Cactaceae Syst. Init. 20: 21. 2005 [Nov 2005]
Synonymy: 33

Mammillaria grahamii subs. sheldonii (Britton & Rose) D.R.Hunt

Chilita sheldonii (Britton & Rose) Orcutt
Cochemiea sheldonii (Britton & Rose) Doweld
Ebnerella sheldonii (Britton & Rose) Buxb.
Mammillaria microcarpa var. sheldonii (Britton & Rose) Neutel.
Mammillaria milleri var. sheldonii (Britton & Rose) Neutel.
Mammillaria sheldonii (Britton & Rose) Boed.
Neomammillaria sheldonii Britton & Rose

Mammillaria alamensis R.T.Craig

Chilita alamensis (R.T.Craig) Buxb.
Escobariopsis sinistrohamata (Boed.) Doweld
Neomammillaria alamensis (R.T.Craig) Y.Itô

Mammillaria gueldemanniana Backeb.

Chilita gueldemanniana (Backeb.) Buxb.
Mammillaria microcarpa f. gueldemanniana (Backeb.) Neutel.
Mammillaria milleri f. gueldemanniana (Backeb.) Neutel.

Mammillaria gueldemanniana var. guirocobensis (R.T.Craig) Backeb.

Ebnerella guirocobensis (R.T.Craig) Buxb.
Mammillaria guirocobensis R.T.Craig

Mammillaria inaiae R.T.Craig

Chilita inaiae (R.T.Craig) Buxb.
Ebnerella inaiae (R.T.Craig) Buxb.
Neomammillaria inaiae (R.T.Craig) Y.Itô

Mammillaria marnieriana Backeb.
Mammillaria pseudoalamensis Backeb.
Mammillaria swinglei (Britton & Rose) Boed.

Chilita swinglei (Britton & Rose) Orcutt
Chilita swingleri (Britton & Rose) Orcutt
Cochemiea swinglei (Britton & Rose) Doweld
Ebnerella swinglei (Britton & Rose) Buxb.
Mammillaria microcarpa f. swinglei (Britton & Rose) Neutel.
Mammillaria milleri f. swingeli (Britton & Rose) Neutel.
Neomammillaria swinglei Britton & Rose

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Description: Mammillaria sheldoniiSN|8828]]SN|8816]] is undoubtedly a variable species, which has given rise to several names now ascribed to synonymy. Mammillaria pseudoalamensisSN|8816]]SN|8828]] |SN|8828]] is nothing else than a variant recognisable for the absence of central spines, and larger flowers with distinctive orange stigma lobes. The otherwise identical Mammillaraia alamensis instead has green stigma lobes.
Habit: It makes a cluster of basal stems.
Stem: Spherical to slender-cylindrical, dull green, often becoming reddish, 3-6 cm wide, 8-15 cm tall (or more in cultivation)
Tubercles: Cylindrical four-sided basally, carinate, without latex, axils without wool but with an occasional few bristles. Tubercle arrangement 8-13.
Radial spines: The number of radial spines varies from as low as 9 (M. alamensis) to as many as 24, white, tipped brown, needle-like, about 6 to 8 mm long.
Central spines: 1 to 4 ( 0 in M. alamensis), the lower one elongated and either straight or hooked, 1 to 15.cm long, brownish, the upper part dark blackish brown.
Flowers: Large, wide funnel-form, diurnal, inodorous, light purplish-pink with a pinkish brown midstripe and paler margins, about 20 cm in diameter (up to 3,5 in M. alamensis). Stigmas are green (dull orange in M. pseudoalamensis)
Blooming season: Spring, and flowers remain open for about three or four days.
Fruits: Club shaped, pale scarlet 25-30 mm long.
Seeds: black.

Subspecies, varieties, forms and cultivars of plants belonging to the Mammillaria grahamii/sheldonii group

Mammillaria alamensis R.T.Craig: (Mammillaria grahamii subs. sheldonii) without or with only 1 central spine, about 9 radial spines, white, tipped brown, needle-like, about 6 to 8 mm long. Distribution: Sierra de Alamos, Alamos, Sonora, Mexico.
Mammillaria grahamii Engelm.: has 20-35 white to greyish to light brown to reddish radial spines. 1-4 central spines yellowish to dark brown central, one usually hooked. It is very variable. Distribution: California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, USA; Sonora, Sinaloa and Chihuahua, Mexico.
Mammillaria grahamii subs. sheldonii (Britton & Rose) D.R.Hunt: has 9-24 radial spines. Central spines either straight or hooked, 1-1,5 cm long. Flowers purplish-pink with a pinkish brown midstripe. It is variable. Distribution: Mexico (Sonora and Chihuahua).
Mammillaria gueldemanniana Backeb.: aside from bigger flowers, not many differences. Distribution: Mexico, Chihuahua, Sonora and Sinaloa.
Mammillaria gueldemanniana var. guirocobensis (R.T.Craig) Backeb.: (Mammillaria grahamii subs. sheldonii) has 1-3 reddish-brown central spines almost 1 cm long. One spine is hooked. Flowers bigger and widely open. Distribution: Sonora, Sinaloa, Chihuahua at higher altitudes.
Mammillaria inaiae R.T.Craig: (Mammillaria grahamii subs. sheldonii)
Mammillaria marnieriana Backeb.: (Mammillaria grahamii subs. sheldonii)
Mammillaria microcarpa Engelm. in Emory: (Mammillaria grahamii) has 15-35 pale radial spines and 1-3, yellowish-brown to purplish black centrals, the longest hooked. Fruits scarlet. Distribution: USA (Texas, New Mexico, Utah, California and Arizona) and Mexico.
Mammillaria microcarpa var. auricarpa W.T.Marshall: (Mammillaria grahamii) has pale, radial spines and a yellowish brown hooked central spine. Flowers are 4 cm in diameter, pink, and are followed by golden yellow berries. Distribution: U.S.A. (Arizona).
Mammillaria microcarpa f. cristata hort.: crested form.
Mammillaria oliviae Orcutt: (Mammillaria grahamii)
Mammillaria pseudoalamensis Backeb.: (Mammillaria grahamii subs. sheldonii) variant recognisable from M. alamensis for the absence of central spines, and larger flowers with a characteristic distinctive orange pistil. Distribution: West of Alamos, Sonora, Mexico.
Mammillaria swinglei (Britton & Rose) Boed.: (Mammillaria grahamii subs. sheldonii) has wide funnelform purplish pink flowers up to 3. Stile style pink, twice as long as the pink filaments; stigma-lobes 8, linear, pointed, green.

Bibliography: Major references and further lectures:
1) David Hunt, Nigel Taylor “The New Cactus Lexicon” DH Books, 2006
2) John Pilbeam (1999) “Mammillaria The Cactus File Handbook” Nuffield Press.
3) Edward F. Anderson “The Cactus Family” Timber Press, 2001
4) Nagysurányi Miklós “A nagy virágú Mamiliáriákrót” KAKTUSZKEDVELO
5) SZAKKÖR TÁJÉKOZTATÓJA 75/4 p 104-107