Mammillaria of the Month

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Mammillaria winterae ssp. winterae

Mammillaria winterae ssp winterae in habitat at Cerro del Agua, NL. Copyright Chris Davies 2013 
 

Mammillaria winterae ssp winterae in habitat at Cerro del Agua,NL Copyright: Chris Davies 2013

This is the type of the species, first described in 1929 by Boedeker. It grows to quite a large size, remaining solitary, and is a very distinctive plant with its large, angled tubercles.

It was described as being solitary, depressed globose, to 20 to 30 cm in diameter, with axils that are at first naked, but later develop dense white wool. It has 4 spines, all central, in a cross formation, the longest, up to 30mm, are the upper and lower, the two side ones only to half that length. The flowers are quite large, a sulphur yellow in colour,to 3cm long and almost as wide.

The plant comes from Nuevo Leon and Coahuila, notably from near Monterrey and grows on low hills, with lots of limestone in the soil and subsoil rocks. It, like its subspecies, seems to enjoy, in cultivation,  good root space, and well drained compost,though it is not a quick grower.

Synonyms are now believed to be Mammillaria zahniana and Mammillaria freudenbergeri.

Flower bud of Mammillaria winterae ssp winterae in habitat at Cerro del Agua,NL Copyright: Chris Davies 2013