Mammillaria of the
Month
(click
here
for previous Mamms of the Month)
Mammillaria albicans ssp. albicans
Mammillaria albicans ssp. albicans SB1251 from San Juan del Costa, north of La Paz, BCS. Copyright Chris
Davies 2013
This is a lovely plant, the almost clear white flowers enhancing
the mostly white spination, all set off by the long purple stigmas. It
was originally called Mammillaria slevinii, and then albicans, and
eventually M. fraileana and M. albicans were merged under the species
name of M. albicans.
It is a rather slower growing plant than the
subspecies (as it is now classed) of M. albicans ssp. fraileana, and
doesn't exhibit the often untidy growth of that subspecies.
Interestingly it can be found in forms with straight central spines,
and also with hooked central spines (the Lau 1374 form is one
such). In time it can make relatively slender stems of up to 30cm tall,
and offsets somewhat reluctantly. As with most of the hooked spined
plants of the Ancistracanthae from Baja California, it likes as much
sun as you can give it, a very gritty, open compost, and water when
fully dry.