Selfing Mammillarias

Back in the days when I had little interest in growing cacti from seed I used to buy single plants, a very unwise way to go as I reckon now. I have this beautiful clone of M. parkinsonii that I would love to propagate but seems reluctant to produce any seed by itself. Should I tickle it (more) vigorously? Is there any other way to go in order to induce a plant to self-pollinate?

That's a lovely looking plant jfabiao. Have you had it long?

I know that many Rebutia self-pollinate, but I didn't know that Mamms did also.

I've a Mammillaria bocasana ssp eschauzieri which always produces lots of seed. I'd like to clone the plant but I can't bring myself to break off an offset. I'm now wondering if the seed it's producing is likely to come true. Or would I be wasting my time?!

.... Si

I've had this plant for some 12-15 years, although I must admit it thrived on neglect rather than care for a number of years.

A number of Mammillaria species will hybridise, but I suspect that they will not do it freely, i.e., among any two species. In other words, it depends on the neighbours at the time of flowering. Do you keep similar or close species, maybe other sub-species or possibly other populations of M. bocasana?

As for breeding true, in case it self-pollinates, it will be the same species, even the same population, but it won't be a "clone" of the parent plant - it never is, when sexual reproduction is involved.

Next year, isolate the plant while it is in flower - say, a [different?] windowsill away from the "general" population - and tickle its stamens and stylus with a soft paintbrush. Just make sure you isolate it before the flowers open and keep it away until all the flowers have faded. The seed thus produced will yield true-to-type M. bocasa subsp. eschauzieri.

Sometimes is hard to get seeds from cross-pollinating species if you have 2-3 plants of different age or stock. They flower some days or weeks apart in time.. In such cases if I wished to produce good seeds I just tear some stamens from 1st blooming plant and kept t in the fridge until next plant's bloom. It works good.

As self-pollinating I remember M. bocassana, M. prolifera and not others.