Primavera na minha estufa

Challenged by Maurillio to join the chain of greenhouse reports, here's a bit of what's happening here in Portugal. I must explain that "spring" comes really early to my Mammillaria here in Portugal, courtesy of our mild weather and clear skies.

Mammillaria cadereytensis (2016.04.23)


Mammillaria candida (2016.04.16), a plant I rescued from the abandoned greenhouse of a cacti enthusiast that passed away a few years ago.


Mammillaria herrerae (2016.04.16), a seedling from the 2009 campaign.


Mammillaria magallani SB143 ex-Chris Davies (2016.02.25).


Mammillaria meridiorosei Dar154 (2016.05.08), 2010 seedlings.

Nice show! That M. magallani flowered a lot earlier than in our more northern climes. Its brother/sister flowered for me just about 4 weeks later. And the wool development on the cadereytensis is marvellous.

Thanks.
The M. lasiacantha group blooms very early for us, January is pretty common.

A few more. Mammillaria tlalocii FO229, two plants bought from Tony Irons a number of years ago, presumably siblings. One of them completely lacks centrals, the other has one short central. Go figure.


One unexpected find in a local, generic nursery a few years ago: Mammillaria phitauiana. It grows at its pace but I have the feeling that I'm not giving it the best care.


What's the current views on these, are they accepted at this forum? Anyway, Turbinicarpus viereckii subsp. neglectus L1159. If you're careful with the watering can they will make wonderful plants with the black spines protruding from the white wool. It is self-fertile and will yield a steady number of seedlings around the base. One very curious trait of this population is that all plants will flower in perfect synchronicity in the greenhouse.

A few more:
Mammillaria aff. formosa Rog326 (thak you, K.W.!)


Mammillaria formosa ML80


Mammillaria mazatlanensis


Mammillaria schiedeana subsp. giselae ML677

Nice plants! and a good example of the variability of M. formosa.

We're going into a heat wave and the Ancistracanthae seem to love it:

Mammillaria grahamii (microcarpa) RH122


Mammillaria sheldoni (swinglei)


Mammillaria fraileana


Mammillaria mazatlanensis


(I'm naming them as I received them: I have a difficult time telling most of these apart...)

Good evening Jose,

wonderful plants - ok just Mammillaria , very well photographed.


Greetings from Cologne,

K.W.


PS what´s about ELK this year?

Thank you, K.W.

This year we won't be attending ELK, we're a bit short of funds.

Kicking off the 2017 season, photos from 2017.01.08:

Mammillaria gasseriana "Ojo de Agua" (2011 seedling)


Mammillaria magallanii SB143 (2011 seedling)


Mammillaria nivosa (2009 seedling)


Mammillaria sp. K145/3 (2011 seedling; if anyone knows a proper name for this, it would be most welcome)

Here in Lisbon the winters are never too cold and a number of species - particularly Mammillaria - are almost perpetual bloomers. Photo taken yesterday as well.

Hello Fabio,

Nice flowers, I wish I could have your climate right now....

The plant above K 145/3 is Mam. gieseckei n.n., Calipam, Pue. Collector: Heinz-Josef Klein.
Mammillaria gieseckei is a natural hybrid, maybe between flavicentra and supertexta.

Thank you, Jonathan. I will amend the label.

Mammillaria glassii subsp. ascensionis


Mammillaria wohlschlagerii RS450

Mammillaria dodsoni P346


Mammillaria stampferi

Great pictures!
We still winter. Snow. - 15. .

An oldish Mammillaria candida that I inherited:


M. deherdtiana, recovering well from a vicious attack of spider mites last year:


One of my M. parkinsonii, that got quickly to four very even heads and then decided to stay that way:


Two sibling M. tlalocii FO229, one with a central spine in every areole and the other completely devoid of them.

Well ahead of here in the UK, not surprisingly. I find M. parkinsonii quite variable in growth, I had a plant for a number of years, just two heads (from 1 of course) but last year each suddenly decided to split again. Why then? I have no idea. Spine variation occurs in a number of species, and I've wondered if it is differences in culture - light, water, soil - that triggers one plant to grow differently than another. But siblings and similar culture - just must be something buried in the genes that doesn't need external factors to cause expres​sion(or lack of!).

Yes, environment plays a major role in the way our plants look. Spine length as a response to sun intensity is an obvious one for me. When I receive plants from abroad, after a few months/years it can be clearly seen (this is a largely off-topic species, but one that clearly illustrates what I mean). You can almost draw a line on this Thelocactus lausseri to define the moment it came from France to the southern sun:


To stay on topic, there is one species with lovely hooked central spines that always stops producing them when I put plants in my greenhouses, M. nana subsp. duwei. I wish I knew why!

A few Mammillaria, as I somehow have quite a lot of species.

Mammillaria wrightii subsp. wilcoxii (meridiorosei) Dar154, one of the most beautiful Mammillaria flowers.


Mammillaria herrerae


Mammillaria baumii (I guess). Pity you can't smell the wonderful perfume.


Mammillaria schiedeana subsp. giselae ML677, a very nice mix of golden heads and delicate pink flowers.

Winter is coming...

Winter is definitely coming (although someone forgot to tell the high-pressure system northeast of the Azores, meaning no rain and 30C maxima to this day...)
Mammillaria solisioides

jfabiao wrote:

Winter is definitely coming (although someone forgot to tell the high-pressure system northeast of the Azores, meaning no rain and 30C maxima to this day...)

Good evening Jose,

oh how nice, 30 ° C!
I would take you 15 ° C. . .

Best wishes and greetings,

K.W.


PS And beautiful flowers has this Mammillaria solisioides!

K.W. wrote:

Good evening Jose,

oh how nice, 30 ° C!
I would take you 15 ° C. . .  

Best wishes and greetings,

K.W.


PS  And beautiful flowers has this Mammillaria solisioides!

Thank you.
It's back to normal November weather today - rain and ~20C maxima. It's about time, we're going through a serious drought over here.
The weather men say it will take about 2 months of rain to replenish the dams. Fingers crossed, otherwise we'll be in serious trouble...

A few from 2018:

Mammillaria albiflora, first blooms on 2011 seedlings. A couple of years ago I almost lost them all to RSM, but one of them came back very nicely. The other is taking more time but will hopefully make it as well.


Mammillaria deherdtiana, a 2011 seedling. Which brings me to...


These have been showing up in nurseries around here, in trays of cacti from the Netherlands. I'm guessing M. deherdtiana as well, can someone confirm? It's nice to see the commercial growers are expanding their scope beyond the usual bread-and-butter types.


Mammillaria dodsonii Benito Juarez, yet another 2011 seedling (I sowed a large number of species that year...).


Mammillaria egregia SB830, a very beautiful species.


A good display on this Mammillaria luethyi graft (bought 2015). It finally decided to synchronize with the other plant I have, so fingers crossed for seeds (although getting to them will be another story altogether...)!


A classic.


A personal favourite, Mammillaria weingartiana SB831.