The Journal of The Society

Volume 61 Number 1 February 2021 Contents

Editorial...... 3 New President ...... 4 Mammillaria beneckei by Al Laius & Daniel Beck ...... 5 Mammillaria columbiana by Alain Buffel ...... 8 Mammillaria guelzowiana by Alain Sutton †...... 9 Mammillaria sempervivi – a conundrum by Robin Arnott ...... 10 Mammillaria zeilmanniana f. albiflora by Stephen Scarr ...... 11 Mammillaria tetrancistra by John Pilbeam ...... 12 Projected climate change threatens significant range contraction of Cochemiea halei (Cactaceae), an island endemic, serpentine-adapted at risk of extinction...... 13 Mammillaria halei in cultivation by Keith Flanagan...... 14 Mammillaria plumosa from tubercles by David Ilett ...... 15 Mammillaria longimamma DC. by Stefanie Hernández-Ávila ...... 16 Seed sowing, part 2 by Mark Masterson...... 18 Some American by Ian Woolnough ...... 21 overview no. 14 by Kathy Flanagan...... 27 The ‘oldest’ Turbinicarpus by Ian Woolnough ...... 35 Book Review ...... 38

Front cover: Mammillaria longimamma in cultivation (Photo: Alice Vanden Bon)

ISSN 0464-8072 Website: http://mammillaria.net Printed by: Minuteman Press, Macclesfield Editorial It is always a daunting task taking over as Editor of anything, whether it is a printed journal, an online magazine or newsletter, but in this case, it is particularly difficult as I am attempting to follow in the footsteps of my predecessors, Bill Maddams and Alasdair Glen. Chris Davies paid tribute to Alasdair in the last issue so all I am going to say here is that his Editorship will be a hard act to follow. I hope that I will continue to have the support of all members and naturally I am keen to receive any feedback on what you would like to see in your Mammillaria Society journal. Do you want more habitat reports, or shorter items about individual species? Maybe you would prefer articles on cultivation, like the seed raising article in this issue. Or would you like to hear about more technical and scientific topics concerning the genera we cover. If you let me know (my email address and phone number are on the back cover) then I will try and cater to your wishes. My aim will of course be to produce a balanced issue each quarter, and indeed cover all of the allied genera too, though the main focus will naturally be on Mammillaria. I will be trying hard to source more articles from overseas, although that can be difficult, as for example, Mexican authors and botanists are more inclined to write for scientific journals. But you can all help me here by keeping your eyes open and letting me know if you come across any items covering our – I can then contact the folks concerned and take it from there. Having said all that, why not write a few lines, we could revive the Mammillaria chatter section as just one example. Perhaps you could even write a small article for the journal so just send me a Word document with a picture or two if you have one or ask me to supply a picture, and between us all I am fairly sure we could find a picture of most cacti. This is your journal, so let me know what sort of articles would you like to see, or better still write one.

Membership renewal This will be the last journal you will receive if you have not renewed your membership. Please see the information on the last page on how to do this. I hope you will renew for 2021 as the journal has now increased in size with more content and of course the annual seed offer still remains free of charge, and we are planning to include even more seeds this year. Please also spread the word, on Facebook, Instagram, social media, forums and wherever you can. The more members we have, the more we can include in the journal, and organise activities and events for our members once life gets back to some sort of normality again.

Errata The last issue – November 2020 – had the wrong volume number on the cover. It should of course have been volume 60.

3 New Society President The Mammillaria Society has been with- out a president for a number of years, in fact ever since the death of W A Fitz Maurice in 2015. We are now delighted that Ken Scales has accepted the honorary role of President. Ken is President of the Exeter Branch of the BCSS, and held various roles prior to that. His passion is certainly for the genus Mammillaria and he still grows signifi- cant numbers of plants from seed even though he is into his eighties. Mammil- laria Society members will have seen him at the AGMs at Wisley as he always helped out and his fitness levels and knowledge of plants certainly put much younger people to shame. A proud Yorkshireman (the son of a butcher) he used to box and play rugby and is a retired head parks gardener from Exeter. He had significant horticultural training and has worked at various high-profile gardens and establishments over the years. He used to visit the Czech Republic with David Rushforth regularly and knows a lot of growers out there and has also been to Mexico to see Mammillaria and other cacti in habitat.

Zoom meetings As mentioned in the last Journal, we will use Zoom to host quarterly talks and also our AGM. Full details including the all-important links will be posted on the Society website. Please make a diary note NOW

18th March at 19:30 – Inaugural Talk – Chris Davies on ‘Among my Mammillarias’ 20th May at 19:30 – Annual General Meeting – agenda will be available on the Society website 17th June at 19:30 – A talk by renowned Mammillaria expert Wolter ten Hoeve ‘Mammillarias in my Collection and in habitat’ The schedule for the next set of talks will be published in the August Journal.

4 Mammillaria beneckei by Al Laius & Daniel Beck When I received the third issue of the German AfM journal last year, I was immediately impressed by the stunning photos of the large yellow flowers of Mammillaria beneckei. I contacted the author Daniel Beck, who was happy to send me some photos of this species, slightly different to the ones used in the AfM article, and he also allowed me to include some of his words in English. On a trip to Mexico in 2017, Daniel Beck found Mammillaria beneckei Ehrenb. (syn. Mam- millaria balsasoides) north of Mazatlán, Sinaloa at an altitude of 130m. That trip was in August, which was not his usual travelling time, but it was certainly fortuitous as the plants were in full bloom (Figs. 1–3). This particular location contained many plants which had formed large clumps. Even offsets that had become detached had formed aerial roots and were on the point of rooting down. In October 2018, he found this species again in Oaxaca, which is about 1,500km south-east of Mazatlán. This location was near the archaeological site of Guiengola (Fig. 4). M. beneckei was growing together with Melocactus curvispinus, in partly and fully shaded situations, and had formed large clumps just as at the other location. However, because of the time of year, there were no plants in flower, but the surrounding vegetation was still abundant.

Fig. 1 Large clumps of M. beneckei in flower at Mazatlán

5 Fig. 2 M. beneckei in flower and showing the attractive spination

Fig. 3 Close-up of flower

6 Fig. 4 M. beneckei at the Guiengola location in 2018 Almost 14 months later, in December 2019, he visited this second location again and was surprised by how the habitat had changed. Obviously because of the dry season, the shrubs were leafless and everything was brighter and more open compared to October 2018, but the biggest surprise was that he found far fewer plants of M. beneckei. Previously he would almost trip up over the plants but now he had to walk further and look closer in order to find them. It was as if the total population had diminished by 50% and this was a mystery to him. Al- though the reason was not clear, it was obvious that the gravel road leading to the site had been partly washed away by rains, and there was evidence of landslides around, so weather events may have played a role. There were still many plants present and he hopes that the population will recover over the coming years. Finally Daniel provides a tip for cultivation of this species. He used to keep his plants in the shade in order to emulate habitat conditions but they never flowered. Now he keeps them on a high shelf in the greenhouse, provides a minimum winter temperature of 10°C, and they flower much better. The original article entitled ‘1,500 Luftlinie voneinander entfernt – Mammillaria beneckei an zwei Standorten beobachtet’ by Daniel Beck, was published in Mitteilungsblatt des Arbeitskreises für Mammillarienfreunde e.V. 44(3): 160–165 (2020). All photos by Daniel Beck.

7 Mammillaria columbiana by Alain Buffel I saw this species at several places in Columbia, most of the time growing in small groups, seldom solitary plants, but never in large quantities. They seem to prefer small rocky outcrops and always grow in the shade of other plants, although this could be because we travelled to Columbia during the beginning of the wet-season, (Oct/Nov 2019). The plant in the photo was among the hairiest I saw, and was photographed beside the road from Villa De Leyva towards Cucaita, just east of the small town Sachica in the Boyaca Departement at an altitude of 2,428m. The largest plants in these clumps were some 15–20cm high, almost always with young smaller offspring surrounding them. Editor’s comments Mammillaria columbiana grows in central America (Mexico (Chiapas, Oaxaca, Yucatán), Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, Jamaica, and in south America (southern Colom- bia, Venezuela and maybe Peru) at altitudes of between 500–2,150m. It grows in very small populations especially on rocky slopes and terraces and also along the shores of small rivers and canyons, often on mossy rocks among sparse xerophytic shrubs and in open clearings in dry thorn forests. In most locations, it is known from a single individual or small subpopulations with no more than 50 individuals. In Chiapas, it is known from one locality. In the Yucatán it is found on coastal dunes. In Costa Rica it is found on a single limestone outcrop in tropical forest. Although the species is not locally abundant, there are many locations so it is unlikely to be significantly affected by current threats throughout its range. Some of the subpopulations, particularly those in Mexico and Costa Rica, may be more at risk.

Fig. 1 Mammillaria columbiana in Columbia (Photo: Alain Buffel)

8 There are two recognised subspecies: Mammillaria columbiana subsp. columbiana Salm-Dyck has yellow/gold central spines, and Mammillaria columbiana subs. yucatanensis (Britton & Rose) D.R.Hunt: has dark red central spines. Cultivation and Propagation Mammillaria columbiana is an easy to grow tropical Mammillaria, that requires frost-free conditions. It prefers a well-draining alkaline soil with some organic matter. Water regularly in summer, but do not overwater and keep dry in winter. It needs more water than its Mexican relatives and seems to tolerate moisture around the roots somewhat better than most species. Note again that this is a tender species so avoid any frost. Reputedly sensitive to low temperatures, but less so if kept on the dry side prior to, and during, cold weather. Warmth throughout the year will increase your success. Best grown in full sun or with after- noon shade but can suffer with sunburn if exposed to direct sun for too long. It can go bronze in strong light, which encourages flowering and heavy wool and spine production.

Mammillaria guelzowiana by Alain Sutton † Alain sent this photo in just a few days before his unexpected and untimely passing. It is published here as a tribute to him, and our sympathies are extended to his family. Alain said, “I attach a photo you may wish to publish in the Journal. This Mammillaria guelzowiana is from Mammillaria Society seed so this is a thank you to the Mammillaria Society and its seed distributors. It is in a 5cm pot and had not shouted loud enough to get a bigger pot. I think it has now.”

Fig. 1 Mammilaria guelzowiana (Photo: Alain Sutton)

9 Mammillaria sempervivi – a conundrum by Robin Arnott The last two issues of the Mammillaria journal have included articles on Mammillaria lloydii and Mammillaria sempervivi – both interesting articles. I do not own a Mammillaria lloydii but I do have a Mammillaria sempervivi – at least, I thought I did until I saw the photographs. I obtained my plant over five years ago, as a mature specimen from an excellent grower in the west of Scotland. I accepted the condition of the plant because of its assumed age, although I did not have a clear indication of what that might be, but I suspected some- where around 20–25 years old. It has flowered regularly for me every year during the period 30 April –16 May but with red/purple flowers and not the pale yellowy colour shown in the illustrations. According to John Pilbeam, M. semper- vivi should be much squatter than mine with flowers whitish to pale yellowish. In height, my plant measures 12cm from the top of the gravel and it has a diameter of about 9cm. With the COVID-19 lockdown last year, I set myself a project to photograph all my Figs. 1 (above) & 2 (below) Mammillaria sempervivi possibly? (Photos: Robin Arnott) plants that came into bloom as usually at that time of year I am often away and miss the flowering period. This is how I discov- ered my plant had red/purple flowers, as you can see from the photograph. So, I am left with a query – is the plant I have a Mammil- laria sempervivi? If it is not, then what is it? Chris Davies comments While I am not 100% sure, I think your plant might be closer to M. pseudocrucigera.

10 This species, relegated as a subspecies of M. formosa by Hunt (somewhat controversially), has spines similar to those on your plant, and pale pink flowers with a darker mid stripe. It is the floral differences that give me pause for thought. Usually both M. sempervivi and M. pseudocrucigera grow in a flatter form, but elongation is not uncommon in old plants cultivated in our weaker sunshine. Hunt suggests that it is a transition form from M. sempervivi to M. formosa but until more evidence is shown, probably DNA, it remains unclear. Plants that are referrable to M. pseudocrucigera were, in the past often given the name M. sempervivi, so confusion is understandable. However your plant’s flowers are rather darker pink, so I cannot be certain. Knowing the source of the seed might be helpful but as the plant is so old, that would be difficult. Dear readers. Have a look at the photos and let me know if you have any ideas about the identity of the plant pictured. Email: [email protected]

Mammillaria zeilmanniana f. albiflora by Stephen Scarr I wonder if readers would be interested in seeing a photo of my Mammillaria zeilmanniana f. albiflora growing in my outdoor sand bed in Exeter. It was planted on the 6th of June 2014. The bed is covered on 15th September by a sheet of glass on a brick at each corner and uncovered on the 1st of March each year. The plant has withstood temperatures down to - 8°C, as well as snow, heavy rain and hail and is out in full sun. The bed has never been treated with pesticides and there have been no problems even though my main collection under glass has all the common pests. This plant seems to be a petite form of M. zeilmanniana.

Fig. 1 Mammillaria zeilmanniana f. albiflora growing happily and flowering outdoors (Photo: Stephen Scarr)

11 Mammillaria tetrancistra by John Pilbeam This is a species that has troubled me over the many years I have grown this genus, and I have never kept one on its own roots for more than a few years. That illustrated in my 1999 book (Fig. 1) was on a graft, and it too succumbed after a few years when it had lulled me into a false sense of security that this was the answer to my problem in growing it. I was delighted then a year or two ago, when I was given a healthy-looking plant, about 10 or 12cm tall in a small 7cm pot. My donor may be pleased to know that I still have it and have enjoyed its flowering since, when it produces its canopy of large pink flowers. For fear of its succumbing if grown as before in one of my glasshouses, I have grown it on my kitchen windowsill, along with other plants that I think need more attention, as well as less exposure to too fluctuating temperatures. It is now 15cm tall, and this winter I feel I must pluck up courage and repot it. Next year will be a nail-biting one as far as its continued enjoyment, or perhaps I should say tolerance, of my treatment is concerned With three of us in the back of an ageing car we were taken to see this species in the Anza Borrego desert area, where a fellow American enthusiast drove along a dirt road with the oc- casional thump to the sump, making me wonder whether we would have to spend the night in the desert, so many times did it attempt to flatten the odd rock in the middle of the road. When I saw it in habitat in southern California it looked healthy enough, but there were no- ticeably not many of any real size, although it is reported to make offsets and the stems reach- ing up to 25cm tall. It would be interesting to know if such clumps are still seen in the wild. It has quite a large range (as I reported in 1999), from eastern California, San Bernadino Mountains, Chiriaco, Clark mountain, and the Anza Borrego, Joshua Park, Palm Desert;

Fig. 1 M. tetrancistra from Mojave County, Arizona. Seed grown and grafted. (Photo: Bill Weightman)

12 from Nevada in the Charleston mountains, Utah near St. George, Newberry Mountains, south-west in Clark County; Arizona, Mohave County, Dome Rock, from Sonora El Marmol as well as Mexico, Sonora, Sonoita, south of Caborca, and Baja California, south of Catavinia. I was told by my benefactor of the plant I now have that it was on a graft – it will be interesting to see what has happened below soil level when I dare to repot it – if I dare that is!

Projected climate change threatens significant range contraction of Cochemiea halei (Cactaceae), an island endemic, serpentine- adapted plant species at risk of extinction by Peter B Breslin, Martin F Wojciechowski & Fabio Albuquerque Threats faced by narrowly distributed endemic species from climate change are especially severe for taxa on islands. The authors investigated the current and projected distribution and range changes of Cochemiea halei, an endemic island that is of conservation concern, and is currently listed as Vulnerable in the IUCN Red List. The goals of the study were threefold. To identify the correla- tions between climate variables and current suitable habitat for C. halei; to determine whether the species is a serpentine endemic or has a facultative relationship with ultra- mafic soils; and to predict range changes of the species based on climate change scenarios. The study location was the island archi- pelago in Bahía Mag- dalena on the Pacific coast, Baja California Fig. 1 Cochemiea halei in habitat on Isla Magdalena, growing in pure ultramafic rock (Photo: Peter Breslin) Sur, Mexico. The authors used multiple species distribution modelling methods, to identify important climate and soil conditions driving current habitat suitability. To see the results, go to the open access article which can be read online by typing in the DOI into your browser. Ecology and Evolution. 2020;10:13211–13224. DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6914 The Editor wishes to thank Peter Breslin for providing the photo.

13 Fig. 1 Cochemiea halei in the collection of Keith and Kathy Flanagan flowering for the first time in October 2020. Inset: The plant went on to produce a further three flowers in November (Photo: Keith Flanagan)

14 Mammillaria plumosa from tubercles by David Ilett Two winters ago I lost my large Mammillaria plumosa (Fig. 1) which had recently flowered and I guess the flower may have introduced rot to the plant, or it was that winter’s victim of a random greenhouse leak! Anyway when it failed to plump up in the spring after watering, a closer look revealed that most of the plant had died but that one head still had some green tubercles. I remembered reading somewhere that you could sometimes get Mammillaria tubercles to root and so I put some of the surviving parts into some soil in a couple of pots, put them away under the bench with other cuttings and promptly forgot about them other than to give them a splash of water. This autumn I thought that I ought to have a look to see if anything was happening and found that a lot of the tubercles had roots (Fig. 2) and a few were producing new plants (Fig. 3). They will take a while to reach the size of the original plant but at least I still have it (although in the meantime I had already failed to resist buying a new one!) I would certainly try this method again now if any other suitable material presents itself.

Fig. 1 (left) The original Mamillaria plumosa plant in flower Fig. 2 (bottom left) New roots forming on the shrivelled tubercles Fig. 3 (botom right) New plantlets forming (Photos: David Ilett)

15 Mammillaria longimamma DC. by Stefanie Hernández-Ávila Mammillaria longimamma is a globose cactus, com- monly known in Mexico as ‘biznaga’, that can be found as isolated individuals or in groups. It has a bright green stem 8–15cm, with long and widely separated tubercles ranging from 2.5–7cm in length and from 1–1.5cm in diameter. In the areoles of the young tubercles there is white wool that disappears as it grows. This species has 8–10 radial spines and 1–4 central spines which are straight or slightly curved and awl-shaped, and are Fig. 1 A young single-headed plant growing in leaf litter in the shade white or slightly brown in colour and 1.2–2cm long. Its flowers are funnel-shaped, canary- yellow and range from 4–6cm in length and diameter. The fruits are ovoid-shaped, green in

Fig. 2 The bright canary-yellow flowers of M. longimamma

16 colour and can be 1–1.2cm long, and their seeds are positively photoblastic (stimulated to germinate by light). Flowering occurs during two periods, the first between April and May, and the second from July to September. M. longimamma often reproduces vegetatively and forms clumps with numerous heads. It has been associated with species facilitators, mainly legumes, and soils with a high content of organic matter, volcanic soils on slopes, escarpments and plateaus, and is also found on flat terrain on stony soils where up to 60% of the surface is covered with stones. This species is considered microendemic, and is found at altitudes of 1,000–2,400m in the states of Hidalgo, Querétaro, Guanajuato and San Luis Potosí and in a variety of climate zones; semi- dry semi-warm and semi-dry temperate, plus a small area with a temperate semi-warm subhumid climate. The density of the populations of this species varies from 0.0048 individuals/m2 for a disturbed site to 0.41 individ uals/m2 in a protected site. It is a species subjected to great col- lection pressure for ornamental purposes, which is why it is currently categorised as a threatened species (A) in NOM- Fig. 3 An older clumping plant 059-SEMARNAT-2010. The IUCN Red List since its 2013 update declared this species in the Vulnerable (V) category, due to its limited geographical area (<15,000km2), the severe fragmentation of their habitats and the decrease of their populations due to the impacts of livestock (grazing) and illegal logging.

Taxonomy and Plant Systematics Laboratory, Metropolitan Autonomous University - Xochimilco. Mexico DF. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: The editor wishes to thank the author for providing the photographs. Comments on cultivation and propagation This is an easy to grow species that will form large clumps with age. Mammillaria longimamma has a tap root, and should be grown in a deep pot with a very draining mineral substrate. Watering during the active growing season (spring and summer) will encourage steady growth, and prevent the large tubercles from becoming floppy. However, take care with watering as the roots are sensitive to rotting. Keep dry during the winter rest, when the plant may retract down to the surface of the potting mix. It prefers light shade to shade. Seeds, offsets and tubercles are the main ways of propagating this species. Tubercles can be removed from the plant, left to dry for a day or two, and planted.

17 Seed sowing, part 2 by Mark Masterson In the last issue of the Journal I recounted my methods and the results from my seed sowing from June and July 2020. In this article I want to go a step further and relate my experiences using a propagation box with a grow light. Grow box I have grown large leeks and onions for exhibition at my local flower show using a grow light so I have had some experience, and I still had all the bits and pieces. The grow box was made from 9mm MDF board and was built to fit around two heated propagators, the overall size being 88cm wide, 45cm deep and 54cm high. The two sides and the back were screwed to a base, the top was left loose and was just placed on top of the box. The front panel was fitted so that it slid up and down to allow access to the trays. All four sides were covered in silver foil to reflect the light back on to the seedlings. Grow light The light is a TL5 propagation light made up of 2×55watt (6500k) daylight tubes for blue light output. Blue light is responsible for plant growth while red light encourages plants to flower. The grow light was fitted so that light reached the four corners of the box. This worked out be 30cm above the trays (not the top of the poly-bags) and was set on a 24-hour timer so that it automatically switched on for 14 hours and switched off for 10 hours. I decided on 14 hours as that is about the length of daylight in mid-July. Propagator The heated propagators were also activated by 24-hour timers and would switch on when the light switched off. They would be on for 10 hours and switch off when the light switched back on. Regulating the temperature within the box took a while to set. In the end, with just the light on for 14 hours the temperature would average about 25°C. When the light switched off, the heated trays would switch on with temperature dropping to about 20°C.

Fig. 1 Full view of the grow box

18 Trials and results With the box built, the first seed sowing was a bit of a test. I decided to obtain Mammillaria seed from four different companies instead of dealing with just one. I felt that dealing with just a single supplier would not be a fair test, espe- cially if the seed was of poor quality. In all, I ordered 90 packets of seed: 18 packets came from Kakteen-Haage, 26 packets from J Piltz, 12 packets from Mesa Gardens and 34 packets from G Koehres. I ordered more seed from Koehres as they had a few interesting Reppenhagen field numbers. The seed was sown on the 17th of October using the same method as previously described in the last journal with the seed starting to germinate after five days. The pots were under the lights for a month before being removed and put on the bench in a heated glasshouse. The results are as follows. Kakteen-Haage, from the 18 packets sown, 13 germinated. J Piltz, 26 packets sown, all 26 Fig. 2 Seedlings in the Ziploc bags in the propagator germinated. and grow box

Figs. 3–5 A selection of Coryphantha seedlings that have germinated well

19 Mesa Garden, 12 packets sown and all 12 germinated. G Kohres, although 34 packets were sown, only 10 packets germinated. I put this lack of germination down to poor seed viability to start with. A second batch of seed was sown on the 14th of November. This seed came from the German Mammillaria Society (AfM) and included 32 packets of Mammillaria species, 27 packets of Coryphantha species and 18 packets of mixed allied genera such Thelocactus, Epithelantha and Escobaria. Of the mammillarias, all 32 lots ger- minated in good numbers. Again, with the coryphanthas, 26 of the 27 lots germinated and with good numbers in the pots. From the 18 lots of mixed genera, only two lots (Thelocactus spp.) failed to germi- nate. In total, of the 77 packets sown only three failed to germinate. Conclusion So the question for me is whether sowing seed under a grow light is better than the other methods I have used in the past? My answer is definitely yes, but it is a lot more

Fig. 6 (above) and Fig. 7 (left) Seedlings sown in June and July 2020, photographed in December 2020

expensive. The main cost is the grow light itself which is around £90, and then there is the ongoing electricity cost. For hobbyists like our- selves, who perhaps sow small numbers of seed and only want two or three plants from a single packet, it is probably not financially viable. All photos by Mark Masterson.

20 Some American Mammillarias by Ian Woolnough There are nowhere near as many Mammillaria species growing in the United States as there are further south in ei- ther Baja or mainland Mexico itself (all of those species found in the United States occur in Mexico as well). That said, those that do make it into America are an interesting mix with some of the species being notoriously difficult to grow in cultivation whilst oth- ers, to me at least, are amongst the easiest. To circumnavigate this, and give an idea of how perhaps they should look I am going to show habitat pictures of some of the species I have seen. Starting with one of the ‘very Fig. 1 A small single headed plant of Mammillaria tetrancistra with its beautiful purplish black tipped centrals and bright red tricky in cultivation’ species fruits which make finding them a lot easier

that grows in eastern Califor- nia, south-west Nevada and down into western Arizona. This is Mammillaria tetrancis- tra and in habitat it is generally a very small plant hidden amongst rocks and pulled flush to the ground. In the Kingston Peak area of eastern California it grows in lime- stone whilst further east into Arizona it grows in igneous rocks as shown in Fig. 1 and is much more easily seen when it has its bright red fruits in the early spring. I said it is gener- ally a small plant but Fig. 2 shows what seems to be an old Fig. 2 This appears to be a large old multi-headed clump of Mammillaria tetrancistra although it could be a group of similarly multi-headed clump and Fig. 3 aged individuals growing together is another multi-headed plant

21 Fig. 3 Cristate plants are not encountered often Fig. 4 Growing under pine trees on sedimentary in habitat so I was delighted and surprised to find rocks overlooking the Salt river this is a large this Mammillaria tetrancistra near Dolan Springs example of Mammillaria wrightii in Arizona with a cristate main head

Fig. 5 Now a form of Mammillaria grahamii this more elongated plant used to be called Mammillaria microcarpa and is growing in the desert that Tucson has encroached upon

22 with the main head cristate. All of these examples were growing near Dolan Springs in North- ern Arizona. I have been in their habitats when it has been snowing so they can take the cold however, I have had very little success with growing them myself in cultivation (perhaps the diurnal extremes cannot be replicated or I am missing some symbiotic fungi present in habitat?). Anyway apart from perhaps considering grafting of seedlings I have resigned my- self to enjoying the habitat pictures I have rather than the almost guaranteed failure that future cultivation attempts will bring! Across in the east of Arizona in the hills above the Salt river, under pine trees, Mammillaria wrightii can be found. Fig. 4 shows a very big example around the size of a grapefruit but this is usually a much smaller globular plant. In cultivation this is another ‘difficult’ plant to grow and after a couple of years of success, when I thought I had cracked how to grow this and even managed to see the delightful big flowers this species produces, the two plants I had suddenly died. Care when watering and a well-drained potting mix is needed and they will take some cold just as in habitat. Actually growing wild in Miles Anderson’s ‘garden’ at his nursery in Tucson (his plot is in the desert) is what was known as Mammillaria microcarpa Fig. 5. This has now been lumped

Fig. 6 There are so many Mammillaria grahamii plants in places carpeting the ground south of Tucson that it was hard not to walk upon them

23 Fig. 7 (left) Reaching the size of a large side plate and growing both in pasture and amongst rocks this Mammillaria heyderi subsp. macdougalii was caught in full flower Fig. 8 (below) A close up of some of the large yellow flowers on Mammillaria heyderi subsp. macdougalii shows the presence of a number of orangey-red aphids

Fig. 9 (facing page, top) Mammillaria heyderi subsp. meiacantha in the Chisos Mountains of the Big Bend region of Texas growing flat to the ground. The lens cap is 58mm to give an idea of size Fig. 10 Mammillaria lasicacantha subsp. lasiacantha comes in a number of forms and this plant near Terlingua is one of the ‘rougher spined’ ones. Note the long bright red fruits which contain black seeds

24 25 into Mammillaria grahamii which was another quite common Mammillaria of the area and this combination makes life a lot easier as telling all the different forms apart was taxing. Mammillaria grahamii is shown in Fig. 6 carpeting the ground like golf balls south-east of Tucson. These grow with Coryphantha vivipara var. bisbeeana, Echinomastus erectrocentrus and Ferocactus wislizenii amongst others. South of Tucson around Pena Blanca lake there are more interesting plants including Coryphantha recurvata as well as another Mammillaria. This is Mammillaria heyderi subsp. macdougalii (M. gummifera var. macdougalii according to Benson) and I was lucky to catch them in full flower in April 2019 (Fig. 7). These flowers were very large for a heyderi form (perhaps an inch across) and a close up (Fig. 8) shows orange-red aphids on them. Down in the Big Bend region of Texas a number of other Mammillaria species can be found including other heyderi forms. The much lower radial spine count shows that Fig. 9 is M. heyderi subsp. meiacantha rather than M. heyderi subsp. heyderi which also grows here. In cultivation these are ones I have (to date!) been able to grow with little difficulty. Mammillaria lasiacantha subsp. lasiacantha (Fig. 10) which with the accompanying plants of Epithelantha micromeris and E. bokei, look like golf balls scattered around on the limestone in which they grow. As such in cultivation I grow them in a lime- stone mix and as long as they are given good light and moderate watering, they should not be too difficult. Mammillaria pottsii (M. leona is an older name) usually eventually forms small clumps although nice single stems can be found (Fig. 11). This plant is quite vari- able with spines from white, grey through to chocolaty brown and again seems to prefer limestone substrates. The flowers are quite small but you will get a few near the crown of the stem. Although reported as being tricky I have been able to grow plants for a number of years if again care with watering is taken and a limestone- based potting mix is used. Fig. 11 A single stemmed plant of Mammillaria pottsii growing in the Big Bend area All photos by Ian Woolnough

26 Coryphantha overview no. 14 by Kathy Flanagan This is my final section and I have only three species left, all of which are completely different to their predecessors. Subgenus: CORYPHANTHA Section: Coryphantha Series: Corniferae Subseries: Delaetianae (part 2) There are six plants in Subseries Delaetianae and I have covered the first four already, which leaves us with: C. werdermannii C. echinus (Synonyms: C. pectinata, C. radians var. echinus, C. radians var. pectinoides) Section: Gracilicoryphantha C. gracilis These three plants are possibly the slowest growing and all are difficult but C. gracilis is the slowest and I believe the rarest, as it is very difficult to both grow and keep alive. I do not say this from personal experience but have seen plants in the collection of Nick Boden, a friend and Oxford Branch member. Jaroslav Snicer of Gerardo.cz cactus nursery once told Nick that he thought C. gracilis was the slowest and most difficult Coryphantha to grow. Section: Coryphantha, Subseries: Delaetianae Coryphantha werdermannii I first bought this plant from Southfields nursery maybe 10 or 15 years ago and to the best of my knowledge they still sell it. The only other nursery that sells it is Kent Cacti, Doug Sizmuir, as far as I know. I was once sold one by Richard Edginton from a collec- tion of six seedlings he had raised for himself, and it did look a bit different from its siblings, but I am happy to have it. I have included some pictures to show you first of all what you can currently buy and how long it takes for them to grow into a mature plant. I would say the plants sold by Southfields and Kent Cacti the last time I saw them would be around five years Fig. 1 C. werdermannii, seedling 10-years old

27 Fig. 3 C. werdermannii, seedling 15-years old Fig. 2 C. werdermannii, seedling 15-years old showing the central spines old. This plant (Fig. 1) is now a 10-year-old seedling and is in a 2-inch pot. The next one is a plant that is now about 15-years old and in a 2¾-inch pot and it has just started to produce its central spines (Figs. 2 & 3). The important thing with all coryphanthas is patience, especially with these three. When I joined the BCSS back in 1983 I bought five packets of seed from their offering (I knew nothing then). One packet was Pelecyphora aselliformis and another Coryphantha werdermannii. I managed to raise one P. aselliformis and four plants of C. werdermannii; they were in a 2-inch pot and there they sat for at least 20 years but only one grew at all. When I got the Coryphantha book I found the part where it says you must separate your seedlings as only one will grow. So I hotfooted it out to the greenhouse and split up my werdermannii seedlings plus three other pots of Coryphan- tha seedlings (C. difficilis, C. echinus and

Fig. 5 of C. werdermannii at Fig. 4 C. werdermannii, plant of 37-years of age 20–25-years of age

28 Fig. 6 (left) C. werdermannii. One that flowered but is no longer with me C. echinoidea.) Of my four werdermannii’s only one survived the transplant; it grew a little and then stopped again. Then last year, I decided it was either kill or cure time so I drowned it in the early spring and a while later I realised it was starting to grow out of itself. Figure 4 shows it today 37 years after its birth, and it is finally doing something. Is that not dedication or what! I just hope I live long enough to see it mature. The plant bought from the Edgintons is pic- tured in Fig. 5 and I think it may be about 20 years old and in a 3-inch pot and is flowering. I did manage to get hold of an older plant

Fig. 7 C. werdermannii, 50–60-years old (Photo: Elton Roberts) Fig. 8 C. werdermannii × echinus possibly

29 Fig. 10 C. echinus, 9-years old from seed and just Fig. 9 C. echinus, 7-years old from seed starting to show the central spines early on in my Coryphantha journey, I had it for about two years and much to my delight it flowered, but sadly then promptly died (Fig. 6). Figure 7 is one of three plants in the collec- tion of Elton Roberts in USA. The other two are still solitary but pretty much in the same condition but he says he has had them for more than 50–60 years and they were not seedlings when he got them. They are all

Fig. 11 Top view of the 20-year-old C. echinus Fig. 12 C. echinus, 23-years old in flower

30 about 10 inches high. They are all bald at the bottom as to be expected as they do not grow centrals until they are maybe 15 years old or more. They do not offset until they are very old, from what he have seen, but the offset is flowering and the main head has flowered and has a nice big juicy seed pod on top. According to the book (Coryphantha, Dicht & Lüthy) this species has superficially spreading fibrous roots and it grows in the valley of Cuatrocienegas, Coahuila in a small area on plains and gravel slopes. It is not thought to be endangered. Coryphantha werdermannii × echinus? Figure 8 is of a plant bought by a friend some years ago as C. werdermannii which it certainly is not and I think maybe there is some C. echinus in it. However, it is not that species either so the plant could well be a cross between them. Whatever it is, it deserves its place in her collection and it flowers well. It was already offsetting when she bought it; C. werdermannii does not offset as a rule until it is much older, as can be seen by the 50–60-year-old plant (Fig. 7). Coryphantha echinus This plant has always fasci- nated me and I am not sure why. I have bought seed- lings and I have grown it from seed but they all looked the same. Starting from seed they look like a small pea and they will be quite happy in a 2-inch pot (Fig. 9) until they are eight or nine years old when they finally start to produce their centrals (Fig. 10). Yes, they have gone from a 2-inch square pot to the next size pot 2½ inch or 2¾ inch if you prefer squares pots. This plant was very kindly given to me by one of our members Ennio Toso from Italy who loves growing from seed and a very good job he makes of it too. It is nine years old from seed and is a very beautiful clean plant, which is now starting to show its true potential. The next plant (Fig. 11) I got some years Fig. 13 C. echinus, 25-years old and with seedlings

31 ago. It is in a 3-inch pot, but it just sat there for many years before it started to grow as can now be seen by its nice new cream spination. Underneath that the spines look grubby, hence I photographed it from above. It is about 3-inches tall and is around 20 years old and it has flowered for about three years. Figure 12 shows the same plant in flower which it has done for most of the summer with sometimes four flowers at a time. My eldest plant also flowers well and has an offset which it produced a couple of years ago. This plant must be about 25 years old and is in a 4¼ inch BEF pot. It could probably do with a new pot but last year I noticed seedlings starting to come up (Fig. 13). When the seed pods dry, I lay them on top of the soil and they germi- nate, which is what I find with a lot of plants (I am not a good seed raiser in the traditional way). When left with their parent they seem to grow quite happily. I do not water them through the Fig. 14 C. echinus (Photo: Elton Roberts) winter, when mum gets a drink so do they, and I

Fig. 15 C. echinus with multiple offsets (Photo: Elton Roberts)

32 probably should not say this but they appear to be growing quite happily with their siblings, which of course is just what they do not do when in a pot without mum! I normally leave them alone, as with Coryphantha I tend to find only half a dozen at most will survive, but these are over a year old now and it would be a shame to disturb them. It is difficult to age these plants (Figs. 14 & 15) belonging to Elton Roberts (from California) as his conditions are much more suitable for cactus-growing than ours. He also feeds much more and they are probably watered for 10 or 11 months of the year. In Figure 15, I am not sure if the biggest head has completely dried up, but it does not look too healthy. Also I do not think the smaller heads are seedlings as he does not sprinkle seed around many of his coryphanthas. I think they are offsets that have formed because the plant sensed the main head was dying and they will all have their own roots. Coryphantha echinus also has fibrous roots but its distribution covers a much larger area from Big Bend in Texas, USA, down into Mexico in Coahuila and Chihuahua. It grows in alluvial plains with limestone gravel and it is not thought to be endangered. Coryphanta echinus × This plant (Fig. 16) was bought as a small seedling and looked pretty much like all the others at the time. I have had it for 10–15 years and it is currently in a 4-inch pot. It has developed quite a lot of white wool over the last few years and started to spread outwards instead of up as I would expect C. echinus to do. In the last couple of months it has started to produce a complete ring of offset just above the base of the plant. I am sure it is not C. echinus but

Fig. 16 C. echinus × in flower

33 when I bought it, it certainly looked like all the others echinus seedlings. However, I do not really mind because it is a pretty plant and I like it but really, I do not have a clue who its parents are. Section: Gracilicoryphantha Coryphantha gracilis This plant is very rare in collections and I am told it is very difficult to keep. It has a very deep tap root so if you are ever lucky enough to find one make sure there is always room under its tap root to grow. I have spoken to several people who have managed to raise it from seed but then it dies. I believe my friend Nick has had four over the years (Fig. 17) but I think they have dried up on him or have suffered from red spider mite. The second photo of this species (Fig.18) is from the Coryphantha book and permission from Reto Dicht was given for its use. Their one distinguishing feature is a green juicy seed pod which turns red after one month and as it dries out it turns a dull purple. At least we know somebody has managed to grow them! They are known only from one small area in Chihuahua near Pelayo and they like to grow on calcareous gravel on flat ridges on hills with little grass. Their conservation status is given as ‘least concern’. This is the end of my series and I would like to thank everyone who has given me permission to use their pictures. I also hope it has proved useful to members in being able to identify their plants.

Fig. 17 C. gracilis (Photo: Nick Boden) Fig. 18 C. gracilis in flower (Photo: Reto Dicht)

34 The ‘oldest’ Turbinicarpus by Ian Woolnough Turbinicarpus horripilus is perhaps better known by its old epithet of Gymnocactus horripilus although it was originally called Mammillaria horripila. Various other generic names to pre- cede horripilus have been applied to it over the years (Thelocactus, Bravocactus, Pediocactus, Neolloydia and Echinocactus) and it has also been known as Echinocactus caespititius and Thelocactus goldii which is not really surprising as it is the oldest known plant in the genus Turbinicarpus. It grows only between Ixmiquilpan and Metztitlán in Hidalgo, Mexico and I have seen it in the Barranca de Metztitlán area where it grows together with other cacti such as Ferocactus glaucescens, Mammillaria longimamma and M. geminispina, some massive Astrophytum ornatum and Neolloydia conoidea, which it could be confused with especially when not in flower (Fig. 1). Near San Pablo Tetlapayac it forms quite large clumps on the fairly steeply sloping limestone rocks and when in flower it is much easier to identify from a distance (Fig. 2). Presumably the seed gets washed or blown down into the cracks in the limestone where it is able to germinate amongst the moss and leaf detritus. Plants also seem to trap the dried leaves from

Fig. 1 Many of these clumps are Turbinicarpus horripilus however there are also Mammillaria geminispina and Neolloydia conoidea clumps interspersed as well, and when not in flower it is hard to tell them apart from a distance

35 Fig. 2 The typical quite steep bare limestone rocks interspersed with pockets of detritus upon which the species grows

Fig. 3 Some clumps such as this one manage many more than one flower from each head concurrently which provides an impressive display

36 the scrubby vegetation amongst which they grow which perhaps aids this process. Generally each head produces at least one flower although some clumps can manage many more (Fig. 3). The flowers are quite large – perhaps up to 4cm across but usually around 2–3cm, and are a consistent pinkish-purple colour and appear from the woollier apex of the head (Fig. 4). The spines are quite pretty with darker tips. In cultivation this is not a particularly demanding plant although it is fairly slow- growing and will take a while to Fig. 4 Close up of a head sporting five flowers and showing the darker tips to the spines form even small clumps, so those large-headed clumps seen in habitat must be quite an age. Although larger than what we might consider to be true Turbinicarpus this species will never outgrow even a modest green- house and is well worth looking out for.

Fig. 5 A small clump with dried flower remains and ripening seed within the woollier apex. Note some of the areoles show the effects of scorching

37 Book review Die Vielfalt der Gattung Mammillaria by Thomas Linzen (The Diversity of the Genus Mammillaria) reviewed by Chris Davies In November, I was alerted to a new publication by the DKG, the Deutsche Kakteen-Gesellschaft, the German equivalent of our BCSS. I was trying to find out how I could acquire a copy when the postman brought me a copy, sent directly to me by Thomas Linzen, who I have communicated with for many years, but never physically met. Herr Linzen has for many years been an ardent enthusiast of the genus Mammillaria and has written many articles on his travels in many parts of Mexico, and has discovered many new forms. The book is soft cover and has 512 pages, with 978 illustrations in colour, many of which are full-page. After a brief introduction, there is a section which covers the history of the genus and the various protagonists that have produced classifications of the species. After reviewing the works of Reppenhagen, Luthy and Hunt, together with the results of various DNA studies (often with confusing results) he ends this section saying that in this book he follows the useable concept of the genus as proposed by Luthy. This gives a framework, but the true beauty of this book is its photographic record of so many species. The majority of images are from habitat, supplemented by images of cultivated plants where necessary to show flowers or specific features. The author reviews 178 species groups in this publication in alphabetic sequence, and has tried to cover the variability of each species. In some cases the name may be unfamiliar, but their relationship to better known species names is mostly quite obvious. Not surprisingly, Thomas’s most recent discovery Cochemeia thomasii is featured. One surprise to me was the replacement of the species name M. karwinskiana by M. geminata, though checking on articles in the AfM journal, there is some logic in this. But these frankly are minor matters besides the true value of this book, which is the range and quality of the images shown. can take a back seat for a while whilst I spend many happy hours engaging with this book, and marvelling at the images shown. The author’s knowledge of this genus is apparent on every page, simply shown in the quality and accuracy of the images, all, or most of which, were taken by the author himself. Each species featured also has a cultural key to help enthusiasts grow them well. This book is a very welcome addition to the existing works, and one that I will dip into for a long time to come. Editor’s note This book is available only to paid-up members of the DKG, but as it costs just €10.00 (+P&P) it might be worth joining that Society just for a while in order to take advantage of their books.

38 Mammillaria seed distribution Thanks to everyone who has requested seed this year, and we do not have much left. This year we had 74 orders in the first two weeks alone, and we were down to 52 packets on 26 December. We apologise to all our members who have not received what they asked, due to an unprecedented demand for seeds. More people have requested one of everything. We try to procure 500 seeds of each on the list, and sometimes we have been lucky and received more but occasionally they have been short. We would very much appreciate feedback on your results. We would like to know if the germination of your seeds was good bad, or nothing at all. With so many of you requesting one of everything it would be very useful to help us find out if everyone had a particular seed with no germination at all. This is so we can make sure we do not use those suppliers where the germination rate was poor. Please email: [email protected] or write to the address below. Keith & Kathy Flanagan – Mammillaria Society seed distribution.

Mammillaria Society Membership Please remember if you have not already paid your renewal premium, you will not receive any more journals after this February issue. Your renewal can be made online via PayPal, which is very easy. You do not need a PayPal account and you can use your credit/debit card to pay via PayPal online. PayPal makes life easier for me too as I do not have to take cheques to the bank. However, you can still send me a cheque if you prefer, to the address below or on the back of your journal. If you move, please remember to tell me and Al Laius your new address so our records are straight. Just one email addressed to us both, and you will find both email addresses on the back of your journal. The same applies if your journal or if your seeds have not arrived. Remember the journal is compiled by one person, who then has to get them ready for postage and take them to the post office. So he does his best to get your journal out on time but this time of year the weather can make a difference, not only to him but the printers as well. Kathy Flanagan – Mammillaria Society Membership Secretary. Email: [email protected] 20 Poultons Road, Overton, Hampshire, RG25 3NA, UK. The Journal of The Mammillaria Society

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