Mammillaria lenta

	Mammillaria lenta	CACTUS ART NURSERY Cultivation and Mail Sale of Cacti and Succulents.

Mammillaria lenta is an attractive and rewarding cactus with dense criss-crossing white spines The slow growth rate but offsetting habit and unusual large flowers make it one of the most sought-after species and it is often a show winner.

Photo & © copyright by Irwin Lightstone. Images may not be copied, downloaded, or used in any way without the expressed, written permission of the photographer.	Description: Mammillaria lenta is a very slow growing succulent that branches basally to form quite large flat-topped mounds of off-white to white with age. Some plants will begin to offset when just a few cm across, while others are more reluctant to produce offsets. Slower growing than the somewhat similar M. plumosa Stems: Flattened globular (or small columnar in cultivation), bright green to yellow green, typically (3-) 5 to 10 cm in diameter, 1 – 2 (or more) cm high. Offsets may be produced low on the plant, or unusually high near the growing tip. Roots: Large, tuberous. Sap: Without latex. Parastichy number: 13 - 21 Tubercle: Slender conical, somewhat firm. Axil: With short, persistant wool and some bristles. Radial spine: 30 - 40, dense, fine, soft and close together giving the effect of looking like a bird's nest, glassy white to slightly yellow, 3 - 7 mm long. Central spine: Absent. Flower: Produces rings of large pure white flowers with a purplish-pinkish stripe, 20(-25) mm long and 25 mm in diameter. Stigmas are a bright olive-green. Blooming season (Europe): April/May. Flowering may be reluctant unless it is placed in a warm position with high light levels. Fruit: Club shaped, red, up to 10 mm long. Seed: Black.
Cultivation: It is a slow growing species. Use a pot with good drainage and a very porous mineral-based potting mix. Potted plants are quite wet-sensitive and easy to rot if over-watered, especially in winter. Water sparingly during the growing season; keep very dry in winter. Feed with a high potassium fertilizer in summer. Usually it is recommended to over-winter this plant in a bright and warm greenhouse with at least 8-10° C , but it has proved to be quite frost resistant (if kept dry, it's hardy as low as -5° C). Outside full sun or afternoon shade, inside it needs bright light, and some direct sun. Some plants will offset readily, and clumps can be produced in a very few years. Propagation: By direct sowing after last frost, or by cuttings or grafting.

Family: Cactaceae (Cactus Family)

Scientific name: Mammillaria lenta

First description by K. Brandegee, Zoe 5: 194 (1904)

Origin: Geographic Distribution: Coahuila, Mexico.

Habitat: It grows and clumps in rock cracks. Altitude 900 - 1.400 m.

Conservation status: Listed in CITES appendix 2.

Synonyms:

Neomammillaria lenta
Chilita lenta
Escobariopsis lenta

Photo & © copyright by Irwin Lightstone. Images may not be copied, downloaded, or used in any way without the expressed, written permission of the photographer.

Photo and © copyright by Mladen Turcinovic (Croatia)

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This plant description is based on research and personal experiences, and is too short to provide a comprehensive coverage of the subject. Do you see an error in what is shown? Or do you know more about the species than what we are showing? Your help is greatly appreciated. Why not send us an email with further information or photos, so that we can correct or extend the information provided?

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