Mammillaria esseriana

On Mammillaria esseriana from "mammillariamaniac" Jonathan Mohl …

There is not much I know about this mysterious plant, in the Mammillaria Handbook (Craig) I rode that that the german Cactus collector Ferdinand Schmoll (1879-1950) has collected this plant in Chiapas. But i talked with Wolfgang Plein last year when I visited his collection about this plant. He is  specialized in the Scrippsiana-Group, he told me that Lau was the only one who has found this plant in Habitat proven his fieldlist. However Laus locality description isn't particulary accurate, it says: in the dry areas of the entire Sierra Madre del Sur, under low bushes. But the Sierra Madre del Sur stretches over almost the entire southern coast of Chiapas and up north until south of Cd. Oaxaca. Thats a very big area to look after a plant, I can't share the view of Hunt to lump it into Mam. compressa, I guess it is more close to Mam. scrippsiana, but I think it should not be subordinated some where until the population is rediscovered.


From the "Journal of Mammillaria Society"....
M. esseriana Boed. in Zeitschr. Sukk. 3 : 289. 1928, with fig.
Stem simple, clavate, becoming double-headed; sap milky; axils with white wool and up to 16 bristles 15 mm. long. Central spines regularly 6, upper to 7 mm. long, lower to 15 mm., straight, acicular to subulate, transparent amber yellow, tipped reddish brown; radial spines up to 10, directed only laterally and ventrally, varying in size from the laterals 3 mm. long to the lowermost up to 8 mm. long, pure white. Flowers 12 mm. in diameter, carmine red; stigmas 5-6 whitish to pale pink. Fruit and seeds unknown.
Habitat unknown, but 'southern Mexico to Central America judging from the characters of the plant'; described from an old plant at Cologne Botanic Garden. Reported from the State of Chiapas by Schmoll and by Dr. H. Bravo.
A member of the Polyedrae (M. karwinskiana group) with more spines than most. M. tenampensis has 4-6 centrals and 8-10 radials but the latter are described as small white bristles only.


Mammillaria esseriana GK 3799
Photography and plant from "mammillariamaniac" Jonathan Mohl - Hamburg - Germany

Mammillaria esseriana
Uhlig-Kakteen - Kernen Rommelshausen - Germania