Chopped Mammillaria carmenae

[iann]

I chopped this in half. It was healthy, but too tall and finding it difficult to stand up straight. Hopefully the top half will send out roots too.

carmenae-0710.jpg (79.72 KiB) Viewed 2478 times

[Eutow_Intermedium]

I remember having Mammilaria Carmanae a couple of times in the past and also recently. I have always struggled to keep them, as I do Mammilaria Elongata.

I always end up having to chop them down after the growing point dried up. Then I waited, and waited , and waited some more, before finely throwing it out with Gusto. They don't do nothing , just dry out up top and cave in slightly and decline to produce offsets.

But your plant may prove us wrong.

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Anyone else ?

[iann]

That's strange. This species often clumps naturally, although neither of my large plants has sent out a single pup. I wonder if a core habitat population is stubbornly single, while nearby plants closer to (or crossed with) C. lauii are the clumping ones.

[DaveW]

I have never been able to find if there are any other genuine habitat colour forms of M. carmenae in cultivation other than the golden spined white flowered form? All the others seem to be a result of Continental hybridisation, but as the following link shows there are some with a little red in the spines and a slight pink tinge to the petals in habitat, therefore are the pinkish flower colours or other than golden spined plants on sale selected clones or more likely crosses with M. lauii? One reason I hate reckless cactus hybridisation since it confuses which are species and which man made hybrids. That is certainly why collectors prefer to grow from habitat seed when available rather than seed or plants of dubious commercial origin. Few people seem to visit M. carmenae's habitat and it does not look easy to climb:-

http://www.mammillaria.eu/Probeartikel/ ... 4_2011.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

As you can see it clumps in habitat Ian. Not sure whether it does cross or at any point grow with M. lauii in habitat, but certainly has been freely crossed in Continental nurseries with it. By the way notice all the tree leaves around it for those who say cacti only grow in mineral soil with no humus.

[iann]

No sign of foreign genes in this plant. Just a redder type of spine.

carmenae-160411.jpg (59.57 KiB) Viewed 2455 times

[DaveW]

However searching the web Ian there do seem to have been some pink and red flowered as well as red spined plants attributed to Lau, so maybe they are that variable. However are they directly grown from collected Lau seed or from commercially available seed where open pollination from other species is possible?:-

http://mammillaria.forumotion.net/t1058 ... a-carmenae" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[iann]

Not a universal vote of confidence from the voters. Only time will tell, but at least if the top half roots I'll have one plant better than before, and maybe a bonus plant too

[CactusFanDan]

I voted for a wanted to happen - it to become a weirdo. Chances are the top will just carry one normally and the bottom will offset nicely.

[Eutow_Intermedium]

Looks like it's going to go all weird

[iann]

I voted for make a nice clump. Of course I do have a little inside information, having seen a ring of tiny pups forming about two tubercles down from the cut

[Eutow_Intermedium]

Oh Goody !

That is news ideed. The sceptics may be proved wrong after all. Inc myself , who voted it WOULD GO ALL WIERD !

[iann]

It may still be weird if it ends up with a ring of pups at the top of a stalk. I've seen standard roses, but a standard cactus would be odd.

[Eutow_Intermedium]

Cant be all bad. Remember I have a Mammilaria Nivosa or Pringlei ( not sure )

And that got damaged. Thats a four headed plant now

[cantharis]

For what it´s worth, voted for a weirdo.

[Eutow_Intermedium]

You will have top add it to the

Ooh you are Awful . But I like you ( thread )

.

But then again

Maybe not . .