ID help with Parodia??

If you have a cactus plant and need help identifying it, this is the place to post it.
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SageOfSilence
Posts: 35
Joined: Mon Nov 28, 2016 9:52 pm
Location: Central Nebraska, US

ID help with Parodia??

Post by SageOfSilence »

Bought this beauty late last summer and haven't had much luck getting a positive ID on it. Research leads me to believe that it may be P. Microsperma, but the old flowering pattern here is throwing me off, and I keep finding contradictory info on google.

Flowers appear to have came from the apex of the areole in a ring around the edge near the base. I got it with just a few dried seed pods(mostly empty), so i'm not sure on color, size, shape etc of the flowers.
PRUBY2.jpg
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It has 10-12 small white radial spines, and 4 central spines with the bottom one hooked, facing downward.
P.RUBY1.jpg
P.RUBY1.jpg (149.94 KiB) Viewed 928 times
And not sure if this is normal but the crown seems to be not growing its full spine set. the hooks appear to not come until much later.
PRUBY#.jpg
PRUBY#.jpg (142.06 KiB) Viewed 928 times
phil_SK
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Joined: Sat Oct 14, 2006 10:47 am
Location: Stockport, UK

Re: ID help with Parodia??

Post by phil_SK »

It's a Mammillaria, I think. Low light is leading to the weak spination.
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greenknight
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Location: SW Washington State zone 8b

Re: ID help with Parodia??

Post by greenknight »

Definitely Mammillaria, maybe Mammillaria crinita subsp. zeilmanniana.
Spence :mrgreen:
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7george
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Re: ID help with Parodia??

Post by 7george »

No, this is Parodia microsperma ssp. microsperma. I don't see any axils between tubercules. This plant should not be growing now, winter time. Insufficient sunlight prevent developing of strong thick spines the top should be covered with. Warm place?
my Parodia microsperma
my Parodia microsperma
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Sometimes flowers appear around the centre of the stem even on sides. The old seed pods move down the stem.
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If your cacti mess in your job just forget about the job.
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SageOfSilence
Posts: 35
Joined: Mon Nov 28, 2016 9:52 pm
Location: Central Nebraska, US

Re: ID help with Parodia??

Post by SageOfSilence »

I figured it was lack of light with the spines. Who knows how long it sat on the shelf inside the store. It's been getting plenty of light lately under a standard CFL bulb now though. It gets several hours of direct light from that and a few more from the window. Upgrading to LED panels soon though. I put it outside on warm days but the temps usually sit around 15-40F here in the winter.

It has definitely responded to the light from what I can tell so far. The color was really light green and had almost a dusty appearance to the flesh but now it's much darker green and now has almost a waxy look. So I think it's healthy besides the spination.
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