Mammilia
Mammillaria are mostly flat cacti, in natural conditions forming large colonies. This is one of the most numerous genera of the family of cacti, a characteristic feature of which is the presence of papillae formed by enlarged leaves in the sinuses of tissue;Areoles are not typical - only the spines are directly on the tips of the papillae, and their growth points are located between the papillae. Flowers, as a rule, small, self-pollinating, numerous( up to 100 pieces), they like a wreath around the top of the stem, their buds are laid between the papillae;fruits ripen in the tissues of the stem and are shown outside only the next year, these are oblong berries, the seeds in them are small.
The most common species in the indoor culture: Mammilaria Bokassia * The stem in young plants is spherical, in mature cylindrical, up to 5 cm in diameter, forms shoots - "babies";papillae glabrous, soft, cylindrical;spines are hairy, white, differing in length: long central - 3, shorter radial - up to 30;flowers are yellowish white. Mammilia slender * Stem short-cylindrical, up to 10 cm tall and up to 5 cm in diameter;papillae with weak felt;spines are hairy, white, differ in length and color: central - 3-5, they are longer, coochlear, radial - up to 14, they are shorter, white yellowish-white or yellow, often thinner. Mammilaria centripetal ♦ From mammilia Bokasskoi is characterized by a large stalk size( up to 12 cm in diameter), tetrahedral papillae, a smaller number of spines that vary in color and length;from both previous species - carmine-red flowers. In view of the difference in origin and, hence, the requirements for the conditions of detention, it is possible to divide into three main groups:
1 group: white-mammilia, white-wool mammillaria, white mammillaria, mammilaria bokassa, mammilaria Ghana, mummilaria Woods, mammilyaria long-haired, mammiliaSham, mammillaria of Zeilman, etc.
Demand for moisture: typical for all cacti irrigation regime.
Light mode: intensive lighting with shading on hot days.
Soil requirement: optimum soil mixture with pH = 4 from sand mixture( coarse-grained sand + gravel and brick crumbs), hardwood and turf ground in a ratio of 4: 3: 3.
2 group: mammillaria satin, mammilaria dystoclyphoid, mammillaria golden-stilted, mammilia slender, etc.
Demand for moisture: moderate watering during the active vegetation, economical for the rest of the time.
Light mode: no shading required.
Soil requirement: optimum soil mixture with pH = 5,6 from sand mixture( see above), hardwood and turf ground in a ratio of 3: 4: 3.
3 group: mackerel of Buckingberg, mammillaria of Karvinsky, mammillaria four-lobed, etc.
Requirement for moisture: moderate watering all the time.
Light mode: moderate lighting.
Soil requirement: optimum soil mixture with pH = 5.6 from sand mixture( see above), hardwood and turf ground in a ratio of 4: 2: 4.
Most species in culture are unpretentious.
Other common for all mammilaria features:
Temperature mode: winter temperature within! 0-14 ° C.
Other features: many species can be moved in the summer to the open ground of alpine hills, you have to dig in there with a capacity.