Mammillaria huitzilopochtli ssp. huitzilopochtli

Famille des Cactaceae

Sous-famille: Cactoideae

Tribu: Cacteae

Genre Mammillaria, Haworth 1812

Nom scientifique: Mammillaria huitzilopochtli ssp. huitzilopochtli

D. Hunt 1979

(The New Cactus Lexicon, Ed. 2006)

Distribution: Mexique (Oaxaca).

Etymologie: Mammillaria, du Latin "mammilla" = mamelle suite à la forme des organes végétatifs en forme de mamelons ou tubercules ;

huitzilopochtli, en l'honneur de Huitzilopochtli, divinité du soleil et de la guerre dans la religion Aztèque.

Température de rusticité: - 5 °C si bref et tenu au sec.

Exposition: plein soleil.

Culture: nécessite un substrat de type cactées. Arroser de Mars à Octobre puis hiverner au sec.

Cactus de 35 mm de diamètre, 30 mm de hauteur.

Système racinaire de Mammillaria huitzilopochtli ssp. huitzilopochtli.

(Provenance: Fleurs d'ailleurs, 34400 Lunel)

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Données supplémentaires

1) Mammillaria huitzilopochtlii

Description: petite cactée globuleuse devenant allongée, généralement solitaire, atteignant 13 cm de hauteur pour 8-9 cm de diamètre. Mamelons minuscules disposés en spirale, axilles florifères densément laineuses. 13-30 aiguillons radiaux rayonnants minuscules, blanc-vitreux; pas d'aiguillon central (parfois un, très long et brun sombre). Fleurs minuscules ne s'ouvrant jamais presque complètement, rose carmin brillant. Fruits rouges, graines brunes minuscules.

Dans l'habitat, Mammillaria huitzilopochtlii vit entre 470-700 m d'altitude, dans des roches de gypse, ou des conglomérats, en plein soleil.

Référence: Joêl Lodé, Fichier Encyclopédique des Cactées & autres Succulentes, Série 23, Fiche 2146.

2) In cultivation the type has proved not as difficult as the related M. crucugera, but the appearance of the dramatic, black central spines, which enhances its appearance so markedly, seems to be at the whim of individual plants. If they have not appearance by the time the plant is taller than broad they rarely seem to subsequently develop. Full exposure to sunlight may encourage this.

It makes a solitary stem about 7 or 8 cm wide, and grows steadily to about 15 cm tall before branching sparsely and randomly in an untidy manner. I have never seen the dichotomous division reported in the original description -"eventually branching dichotomously"- and have never heard of anyone else who has. How long, i wonder, is "eventually". There is whitish wool in the axils in the younger growth. Radial spines number about 15 to 30, glassy white, 2,5 to 3,5 mm long, straight to a little curving. Centrals are sometimes not present, but sometimes there are one or two, small, fine, dark brown, erect, 4 mm long, followed in some plants, but by no means all, by a much longer and stronger, striking central spine later in life, about 2 cm long (to 5 cm according to Lau), dark brown or black. Flowers are small, carmine, 12 to 15 mm long, 7 mm wide, barely protruding beyong the spines. Fruit is red (often seedless in cultivation); seed very small, brown.