Mammillaria seed pods

Mammillaria seed pods vary from species to species. They can embellish an already beautiful cactus as shown clearly in these pictures.

The top pictures shows the seed pods of Mammillaria/Mammilloydia candida.

The next pictures shows that of M. pennispinosa. The seeds of this species are very distinctive. they have a large corky attachment called the strophiole. It is said that this allows ants in carrying it easily and hence aids in germination. Just visible in the same picture are the fruits of M. mathildae and M. jaliscana.

The third picture shows the fruit of M. plumosa (bottom), M. bocasana (middle) and M. bocasana ssp.eschausieri.

April flowers continued

Top picture:
Turbinicarpus pseudomacrochele has flowers that range from white to nearly magenta. It is a very small species as are all Turbinicarpus sensu stricto. It is not difficult to grow in cultivation. In habitat it has been recorded from near Bernal, Queretaro, near Cadereyta also in Queretaro and between Ixmiquilpan and Pachuca in the state of Hidalgo.

Bottom picture: Mammillaria candida is very widespread in its habitat, in the central Mexican platau (from San Luis Potosi, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas). Yet, plants are rarely found in large numbers in each individual locality.

They differ from completly white spined plants to pink tipped spines to pink spine rings alternate with white. Some can be found solitary while others have a clumping habit.

Seeds are smooth (finely caniculate) which are different from other Mammillaria species. At one time there was attempts to place this plant in a Genus of its own, Mammilloydia, but recent trends are in favour of keeping it under Mammillaria. Easy to grow in cultivation.

Both pictures submitted by Amante Darmanin