Mexican trip - part 3

This post covers the Mammillarias that we found on day 4, 18th April 2010.

The morning started with a search for (amongst others) Mammillaria wohlschlageri, but this proved unsuccessful. We thought we had found it, but were a bit worried about the dark central spines on older plants, and then realised that what we were seeing were seedlings and older plants of Neolloydia conoidea.

However our second stop near the village of El Baluarte proved to be much more successful, as we found a number of plant sof Mammillaria sinistrohamata relatively easily on the hill between the village and the road.


The hillside


Mammillaria sinistrohamata


Mammillaria sinistrohamata in two colours!! or something else?

On another part of the hillside I came across this plant, either a double headed single plant or two plants just crammed up together. One look svery like M. sinistrohamata but the other is much darker spined. The description of sinistrohamata calls only and specifically for the central spines to be yellow. So what is it that I have here - two species? or an aberrant form?

Just after Sombrerete, we found no more of these plants, but did find yet more Mammillaria heyderi forms:



Our next stop was near San Francisco de los Organos, and we found a plant that we felt had an affinity with Mammillaria mercadensis:


M. mercadensis aff.


M. mercadensis aff.


Yet another of the ubiquitous Mammillaria heyderi gummifera (probably!)

A few miles further on we stopped and explored a hillside and found a form of the Lasiacantha group.


M. lasiacantha?


Close up of spines


Another plant from this hillside


Clos eup of spines


The hillside where we found these plants.

Hi Chris,

A few km west of El Baluarte I also found M. sinistrohamata, both yellow- and brownish-spined forms (WTH 526). Further west, near the Sain Alto turnoff, I found only yellow-spined plants (WTH 528, many plants there, originally qualified by me as M. aurihamata). Or are WTH 526 and 528 just forms of M. crinita?
Near San Francisco, I did find the M. gummifera, but I did not find your M. mercadensis aff.
However, near San Francisco, I found M. moelleriana. You have to climb the steep rocky hills to get there. See the attached photos of the plant and the beautiful rocky hills in this region.
Your M. lasiacantha? (probably from close to Villa Insurgentes) is actually M. stella-de-tacubaya (seeds differ considerably from lasiacantha seeds, seedlings sometimes form a hooked central, but only sporadically).
M. gummifera can be found in many other flat areas in the region between Fresnillo and Sombrerete. I find it difficult to determine whether the plants in this region are M. gummifera or M. wagneriana.

Wolter.

That second plant you believe to be M. lasiacantha? looks increadible!

That must have been a great trip. You just have been disappointed you couldn't find more seeds! Maybe next trip

Wolter, thank you very much, I had hesitated to say stella-de-tacubaya because they showed no sign of central spines, unlike some we found later on in the trip.
We did look for moelleriana but were unsuccessful.
I think the debate son crinita vs sinistrohamata and other Stylothelae wil go on for ever! What I was surprised at were the brown spined forms, which sowed some seeds of doubt about it.
I'm glad you have that difficulty with gummifera and wagneriana, as in my notes I have exactly that question over a number of plants. When the upper central is straight it is not too difficult, but some curve a little, and some a lot. If this is the only difference between the plants (and to the amateur eye - mine anyway - it is), then is it really distinct? Hmmm....
Paulzie - I think a later trip would provide more ripe seeds, but also be more difficult - towards the end of our trip, as you'll see in time, the temperature was reaching 38-40C which isn;t great for 5 mile hikes up hills. At least not at my age!!

Totally understandable Chris! I live in Florida where it's not uncommon to reach that hot. I try not to walk anywhere... and it's all Flat here!