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 Description: The typical
Mammillaria pringlei is generally a solitary
ball cactus with a
ovoid or globular shaped green stem covered by yellow or amber
spines.
Stems: Approx 20 cm tall and 8-15 wide that eventually branches
out by splitting each head.
Spines: It is one of the few Mammillaria that is completely
covered with yellow spines.The spines on this species seem to radiate
light, almost making it appear to glow.
Radial spines: White and spreading.
Central spines: Recurved (curved backward), deep yellow to golden
in color.
Flowers: The small red flowers are 3/8 inches long.
Blooming seson: Flowers can appear anytime of the year:
Cultivation:
It is a relatively easy plant to grow, both
grafted or on its own roots. During the summer it
is best to keep the plants outside, where the
temperature can rise to over 30 C with no harm to the plant.
Furnish good drainage and use a an open and free
draining mineral compost that allows therefore roots to breath. They
should be kept almost completely dry during the winter months.
From March onwards the plant will begin to grow,
and watering should be increased gradually until late May,
when the plant should be in full growth.
Water regularly during the summer, so long as the
plant pot is allowed to drain and not sit in a tray of water.
During hot weather you may need to water the
plants more frequently, as
long as the plant is actively growing. From late
September watering should be reduced, to force
the plant to go into a state of semi-dormancy.
By October you should be back in to the
winter watering regime.
It needs full sun,
avoiding only the harshest summer sun. If
kept too dark, plants may become overly lush and
greener, and could be prone to rot,
due to over-watering.
Feeding may not be necessary at all if the compost is fresh.
Then feed in summer only if the plant
hasn't been repotted recently. Do not feed the
plants from September onwards, as this can cause
lush growth, which can be fatal during the darker
cold months. Grown specimens
resist to -4°C for a short time. Propagation: By
vegetative propagation grafting or stem cuttings from adult plants.
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Photo of conspecific taxa, varieties, forms and cultivars of
plants belonging to the
Mammillaria rhodantha
complex
(This
Taxon has several of synonyms (
like many other cacti) whit controversial varieties and subspecies and
comprises different forms, but where each form is linked to others by
populations of plants with intermediate characteristics):
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