Some Mammillaria from Calabria

Hello everybody,
I have some mamm to id and I'm sure you can help me.
For first I post a mammillaria of the dolichothele group.
Someone told me that it could be M.melaleuca or M. sphaerica.
What do you think?

Hello Lucio,
I don't think it is melaleuca, it has too many radial spines for that - melaleuca has only 8 or 9, and they are two coloured.
M. sphaerica has only one central, short and straight. From what I can see of your plant it appears to have up to 18 radials, all white, and several (2 -4) straight centrals or subcentrals, darker in colour.
The flowers seem typical of Dolicothele, though.
But overall, I am unsure of what species this is. Maybe others can help.

It looks like it should be within the Dolichothele, can you remeber if the flowers are scented ? I am going to go for M.surculosa. I know it does not totally fit the description but I just can not see what else it could be.

I disagree with surculosa, Mark, the central spines are straight, not a simle hooked one as is so typical of surculosa.
In some ways it is closer to sphaerica or longimamma, with much heavier spination and more centrals.
I 'll say what I usually do in such cases ( ) - its probably a hybrid!

But Lucio, please tell us more about the origin of the plant - where it came from, etc. That might help.

Yes Chris probably it is an hybryd.
The M.surculosa is smaller than my Mammillaria, the pot in the photo has a diameter of about twenty centimeters.
I bougt it about a year ago, during an exhibition at the botanical garden of Messina .
The nurseryman told me that for him it could be a form of melaleuca.
Recently I have seen a photo of a very similar specimen in this site
http://www.miles2go.com/cac3.htm
here it is named M. sp. nova (Dolichothele group) and the caption says : " dense tan and white spines, lemon scented yellow flowers, close to M. baumii "
I don't remember if my plant have scented flower.
Thank you all for your help!

I wonder where Miles obtained this species. I haven't read about any new species since M. paulii was described. If you took a M. baumii, made its radial spines much stouter, and fewer, then it could come close, especially if the heads are 1" or 2.5cm as stated.
If you get any more information, then I'm sure we'd al like to know.

I've been in touch with Miles Anderson and in turn he has contact the sellers of the seed of this plant. Regrettably they no longer have a record of where it came from, which is intensely annoying.
The view is that it is a form of baumii, and possibly a Lau form. However Lau only collected this plant once, at least to allocate a number, which is Lau 1139.
My question now is whether anyone has this form and can check if it resembles this undocumented plant. I did a Google search and only one hit occurred, a Dutch nursery called Lintsen B.V. But the list dates from 2001, so I have sent an email more in hope than expectation.
But f we have Dutch members who see this, maybe they can comment.

I've now seen a photo of a Lau1139 from a reputable UK grower, and it is NOT this plant. So, I am still not able to fully identify it. It will remain, for me, a mystery!

really a little mysterious.
After my information, the occurrence-areas of M. baumii and M. sphaerica overlap in the south of Tamaulipas. It it should give crossing-forms between these two types, therefore so to speak hybrids. And also M. melaleuca occurs here in the area.
Lucio should try to pollinate his plant with baumii, melaleuca and sphaerica to see whether a fruit-base will come. Nothing should happen, or the seeds not germiate, we can certainly assume a hybrid.
And when he get seeds, I am very interested very much at some grain.
_____________
HoRu

Thank you so much Chris!!
Your interesting on my case, make me feel a part of an international wonderful group! and this is a nice feeling.
My Mammillaria probably will rest for a long time a mystery.
Now I'm trying to call a vendor in Sicily, if I have more news, I will tell to you first!

Hi HoRu, hi have try to impollinate M.sphaerica with this plant, they have prodouce seeds , but unfortunately I have lost the envelope with the seeds.
I will try the the next flowering.