Mammillaria of the
Month
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for previous Mamms of the Month)
Mammillaria
thomsonii n.n.
Mammillaria thomsonii n.n.
PN498, in cultivation. Copyright Chris
Davies 2013
Mammillaria thomsonii
n.n. is an unpublished plant, named after Brian Thomson, who worked for
a number of years with Charlie Glass at CANTE. This is a real miniature
species, flowering very young, and comes from a range of mountains in
Durango, a specific area of which is called Canon de Caballo.
It
appears close to Mammillaria nazacensis and Mammillaria brachytrychion,
and probably is related to them, although the taxonomy has not yet been
done and publsihed. Plants in cultivation in the author's greenhouse,
have remained small, still in a 2" pot, and showing no signs as yet of
offsetting. The photo above is one of these plants, no more that 1"
(2.5cms) in diameter, yet flowering profusely. The 18-20 radial spines
on these plants are white and under a strong glass appear slightly
plumose, while the 4-6 central spines arearker, some hooked.
Cultivation
is much the same as for its apparent "sisters", careful watering and a
gritty compost, reflecting the rocky habitat in which it naturally
grows.