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Description
The flowers last briefly, they are fully expanded at high noon (if in brilliant sunlight), and wilt after only an hour or two. They bloom from April through August.
Family: Cactaceae (Cactus Family)
Scientific name: Coryphantha pseudonickelsae Backeberg
in: Blatter Sukkulentenk. 1. 8 (1949)
Origin: Mexico (Durango)
Conservation status: Listed in CITES appendix 2.
- Mammillaria delaetiana A. Berger
In: Kakteen (Berger) 270, 339. 1929 - Coryphantha indiensis
In: Cact. Succ. Mex. 22(4):75, 1977
Stems: Lime green, 6 cm in diameter, 5-7 cm tall, apex depressed with white wool.
Roots: Fibrous.
Tubercles: Conical, later rounded pyramidal, strongly elongated upward, with a pronounced groove on upper surface, dimension about 1-1,2 cm long, width at the base 15 mm. Parastichy number 8-13.
Axil: Woolly only near the stem apex.
Areoles: Round, ± 2 in diameter with white wool in youth.
Radial spines: 14-18, grey-white, radiating, horizontal to slightly protruding, straight, acicular up to 1,6 cm long largely obscuring the stem, upper 2-3 more closely set, lower ones horn coloured, upper ones brownish coloured later turning grey from the base.
Central spines: 1, sometime appearing very late, often not in all areoles, at first black, then grey-white and spotty, whit black tip. 15-20 mm long, porrect, curved downward, thick and stiff.
Roots: Diffuse or short taproots.
Flowers: Nearly apical, funnelform, 3,5 cm wide, pale yellow (sometimes pinkish and proximally reddish). Perianth segment entire, lanceolate, the outer one with a reddish midstripe.
Fruits: Green, ovoid, slimy; floral remnant strongly persistent, fruiting 2-4 months after flowering.
Seed: Reniform, brown 1,5 x1 mm wide, testa reticulate.
NOTE: This species is one of those Coryphanthas which pass a purely radial-spined youth stage in which they are already floriferous.
Cultivation: In cultivation it is quite sensitive to over-watering (rot prone), and needs good drainage. Keep drier in winter. Like other species from the USA. it blooms quite early, but needs about 8-10 years to reach the typical, definite outlook. It needs full sun; and is hardy to -16° C or less for short periods of time