"Touchable" Cacti Species?

[Badgerroots]

Hello all!

I am just getting started collecting cacti, and found out that not all of them are spiky glochid filled balls of pain. In fact, I have actually heard that there are actually 'soft' spined cacti---and I would like to add them to my collection!

So far I have heard of Mammillaria plumosa and Cleistocactus vulpis-cauda, and inadvertently purchased an unidentified one that is textured like a boar bristle brush or toothbrush with my others (it's my avatar)!

I really want more of these types of cacti, so I am compiling a list---any suggestions for cacti that you can handle bear-handed with little to no worry will be highly appreciated!

Thanks!

[gemhunter178]

From what I've grown/seen
Soft/non-protruding spines:
Aztekium sp.
Some Echinocerei
Discocactus horstii
Some Epithelantha sp. (such as E. bokei)
Some Gymnocalycium (such as G. horstii)
Some Mammilliarias (plumosa is probably the most common)
-M. pectinifera and a few other species make a nice layer of spines and are easy to handle
Matucana madisoniorum (may be spineless depending on conditions)
Some Notocacti/Parodia
Pelecyphora sp.
Pygmaeocereus bieblii
Sulcorebutia rauschii?
Some Turbinicarpus sp. (such as T. pseudopectinatus)
Yavia cryptocarpa

No spines/inconspicuous spines:
Most Ariocarpus sp.
Astrophytum asterias/myriostigma
Blossfeldia sp.
Cintia knizei
Many spineless Echinocerei
Echinopsis subdenduata
Many epiphytic cacti (Rhipsalis, Epiphyllum, etc.)
Lophophora sp.

That's all I can think of right now. There's many more out there. Many listed here can be a challenge to acquire...

[sabotenmen]

Why are gloves a problem for you! There are so many types of gloves to choose from. For small cacti I use plastic gloves. Or I use chopsticks. Cacti with a lot of spines are often very beautiful......

[Grimm]

Many of the Rebutias and Sulcorebutias. My favourite cactus when growing up was my dad's Rebutia albiflora which has a dense covering of soft white spines (i.e. it's fluffy). R.heliosa is also a wonderful cactus that hides itself behind a mass of bright orange flowers.

As Sabotenmen said though, don't discount spiny cacti, just avoid the Opuntids (although some of these are okay, as they produce very few or non-hooked glochids). Even some hooked cacti are easily handled!

[Badgerroots]

@GemHunter178 - What a great, comprehensive list! No worries about there being some more dificult to obtain cacti in there----the search is half the fun of collecting!

@Sabotenmen - Absolutely nothing wrong with gloves or spiny cactus, I just have a fascination for the spineless and soft-spine varieties. Sorry that I gave off the impression that I don't like the prickley ones--- I actually have some already, and plan to get more.

@Grimm - Thank you! I looked them up; Rebutia albiflora are absolutely adorable little puffballs!

[greenknight]

Cleistocactus winteri subsp. colademono

[Badgerroots]

@Greenknight
My goodness! Those are so cute. I will definitely keep my eye out for those! :3