Mammillaria bombycina cv. Split Spine Photo by: Valentino Vallicelli
This very rare cultivar has unique "Split spines". This is an exclusive feature never seen in other cacti. It is an easy bloomer and one of the easier species to grow, it the most beautiful when cultivated in the full sun.
Origin and Habitat: Garden origin (Nursery produced cultivar)
Synonyms:
See all synonyms of Mammillaria bombycina
Description: Mammillaria bombycina cv. Split SpineSN|15172]]SN|15172]] is a rare cultivar with special "split spines". This is an exclusive feature never seen in other cacti.
Habit: Plants often form large clumps up to 80 cm wide.
Stems: Globose to club shaped, bright green, 7-14 cm tall, 5-6 cm in diameter.
Tubercles: With dense wool and bristles in the axil.
Central spines: 3-8, yellow with dark reddish brown tips, straight, and up to 11 mm long. The lowermost one is 20 mm long hooked, peculiarly forked or split forming two lateral accessories spines.
Radial spines: 30-64, stiff, thin, needle-like, glassy white to yellowish white, up to 8 mm.
Flowers: Funnel-form, bright pink, up to 15 mm in length and in diameter.
Subspecies, varieties, forms and cultivars of plants belonging to the Mammillaria bombycina group
- Mammillaria bombycina Quehl: Solitary or clustering cactus, some clones cluster aggressively and can form 50-90 cm wide mounds. It combines clean, glassy white radial spines with hooked reddish-brown centrals.This plant will produce several complete circles of contrasting light carmine flowers.
- Mammillaria bombycina f. albicentralis hort.: Has evenly white or creamy-white hooked central spines, (tips never reddish-brown). Cultivated form.
- Mammillaria bombycina f. flavispina hort.: Has evenly creamy-yellow or yellow hooked central spines, (tips never reddish-brown). Cultivated form.
- Mammillaria bombycina f. monstruosa green clone hort.: It is a strange monstrous cactus cultivar that forms very rubbery and squishy green and purple glob.
- Mammillaria bombycina f. monstruosa white clone hort.: It cluster aggressively and forms a gorgeous white mounds with a fluffy appearance.
- Mammillaria bombycina cv. Split Spine: This very rare cultivar has unique "Split spines". This is an exclusive feature never seen in other cacti.
- Mammillaria perezdelarosae Bravo & Scheinvar: Differs from Mammillaria bombycina in its darker centrals and denser, pectinately arranged radials that completely conceal the epidermis, and in its paler pink flowers.
- Mammillaria perezdelarosae subs. andersoniana W.A.Fitz Maur. & B.Fitz Maur.: distinguishable for the smaller size, slower growth and straight central spines (not hooked). It is believed to be one of the most beautiful Mammillaria. Distribution: Northeast, Zacatecas, Municipio Via Garcia
- Mammillaria perezdelarosae f. cristata hort.: crested form with stems densely covered with glassy white radial spines with hooked dark-brown centrals. It is one of the more beautiful crested Mammillaria.
Bibliography: Major references and further lectures
1) Edward Anderson “The Cactus family” Timber Press, Incorporated, 2001
2) James Cullen, Sabina G. Knees, H. Suzanne Cubey "The European Garden Flora Flowering Plants: A Manual for the Identification of Plants Cultivated in Europe, Both Out-of-Doors and Under Glass" Cambridge University Press, 11/Aug/2011
3) David R Hunt; Nigel P Taylor; Graham Charles; International Cactaceae Systematics Group. "The New Cactus Lexicon" dh books, 2006
4) John Pilbeam “Mammillaria: the cactus file handbook” Cirio Publishing Services Ltd Dec/30,/1999
5) Fitz Maurice, B & Fitz Maurice, W.A. 2013. Mammillaria bombycina. In: IUCN 2013. "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species." Version 2013.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 20 February 2014.
Mammillaria bombycina cv. Split Spine Photo by: Valentino Vallicelli Mammillaria bombycina cv. Split Spine Photo by: Frikkie Hall Mammillaria bombycina cv. Split Spine Photo by: Valentino Vallicelli Mammillaria bombycina cv. Split Spine Photo by: Frikkie Hall Mammillaria bombycina cv. Split Spine Photo by: Valentino Vallicelli Mammillaria bombycina cv. Split Spine Photo by: Frikkie Hall Mammillaria bombycina cv. Split Spine Photo by: Valentino Vallicelli Mammillaria bombycina cv. Split Spine Photo by: Valentino Vallicelli Cultivation and Propagation: Water regularly in summer, but do not over-water (rot prone). Use a pot with good drainage and a very porous potting media. Keep dry in winter. Feed with a high potassium fertilizer in summer. It is quite frost-resistant if kept dry, hardy as low as -5° C (some reports give it hardy to -12°C). Outside full sun or afternoon shade, inside it needs bright light, and some direct sun.
Propagation: Grafting, division of larger clumps.
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