Mammillaria albicans is found in Mexico, in the state of Baja California Sur, on the mainland and on the islands of San Francisco, San José, San Diego and Santa Cruz. It grows on granite-based soils in desert scrub at elevations 10 to 200 m above sea level...
Mammillaria albicans also called as Neomammillaria albicans, Bartschella albicans, Chilita albicans, Chilita slevinii, Mammillaria albicans f. dolorensis, Mammillaria albicans f. slevinii, Mammillaria slevinii, Neomammillaria slevinii, is a species of the genus Mammillaria. This species was described by Alwin Berger in 1929.
IDENTIFY MAMMILLARIA ALBICANS
Mammillaria albicans is found in Mexico, in the state of Baja California Sur, on the mainland and on the islands of San Francisco, San José, San Diego and Santa Cruz. It grows on granite-based soils in desert scrub at elevations 10 to 200 m above sea level.
It is a clustering cylindrical cactus with whitish at first globose, then it becomes cylindrical, pale green, 10-20 cm high and 3-6 cm in diameter stem. The tubercles are wide-conical, light-green, without milky juice. Their width at the base is 5-6 mm, length 4-5 mm. The tubercles are almost entirely hidden by numerous spines. Axils are pubescent, especially in the flowering zone, in them are some white with dark brown tips of setae. The young areolas densely covered with white pubescence. The 14-18 (sometimes up to 21) radial spines are thin, acicular, straight, stiff, strongly intertwined, white, pinkish or light brown in color, 5-8 mm long. The 3-4 central spines (sometimes up to 8) are acicular, straight, stiff (sometimes one central spine is hooked), white or pinkish to brownish with brown tips, 8-10 mm long.
This cactus blooms in summer with up to 20 mm in diameter flowers. The flowers appear on the top of the stem in the form of a corolla, painted in colors from white to light pink with a pinkish central line on the petals. The outer parts of the perianth are pinkish. The stigma of the pistil is pink or purple, divided into several segments. It produces clavate, 10-18 mm in length, orange or red fruits and almost round, black, matte, with a scar at the base seeds.
MAMMILLARIA ALBICANS CARE AND CULTURE
Cultural information should only be used as a guide, and should be to be adapted to suit you. Your physical location; where you grow your plants, how much time you have to devote to their care, and many other factors, will need to be taken into account. Only then can you decide on the cultural methods that best suit you and your plants.
Light:
Temperature:
In summer, the optimum temperature should be 20-25 ° C.
Substrate, growing media and repotting:
Mammillaria albicans can be grow in a pot with good drainage and very loose permeable soils on a mineral basis.
Watering:
This species is quite sensitive to waterlogging, especially if you take into account its small root system. During the growing season, watering should be moderate, and wintering should be dry.
Fertilizer:
In summer, you can feed the cactus with a high-pot fertilizer. In winter, the fertilization should limited or completely eliminated.
Rest period:
It is usually recommended to keep this cactus in winter in a light greenhouse at a temperature of at least 8-10 ° C, but the plant is quite frost-resistant, in dry ground can tolerate a temperature drop of -5 ° C.
Grow from seeds:
Cactus seedlings are very fragile on the first weeks and survival depends on how they are treated on that crucial stage; out of 100 of seeds in the wild only a few survive to an adult plant to produce seeds and start the cycle again. Obtaining a high percentage of adult plants from a batch of seedlings, depends on how each collector takes care of their seedlings.
Water for seedlings is the most important item to keep them growing for first few weeks. Generally, most seedlings, which are 1 week old will die after 3 days of dryness. 2 month-old seedlings can survive for 1 week if allowed to dry. 6 month-old seedlings can survive for 2 months if allowed to dry. 1 year-old seedlings can survive for 5 months if allowed to dry.
Planting instructions for 4”pot kit: First, clean with water and chlorine plastic pot, clear cover and label and wash with fresh water. Second, the soil can be sterilized for 2 hours at 120º C in an oven or a microwave but can be used without sterilization. Third, fill the pot with soil and spray with distilled, reverse osmosis or pure rainwater to let soil flatten at the top. Fourth, place to 1/8 to 1/4 inch layer of Dyna Rock or crushed sea shell extra fine on top to cover the soil making a layer between soil and seeds. Fifth, place seeds over the Dyna Rock and fine spray water the seeds well and cover with a clearcover.
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