Synonyms:

Cactus ancistrius
Cactus decipiens
Cactus guillemianus
Chilita decipiens
Dolichothele albescens
Krainzia decipiens
Krainzia decipiens subsp. albescens
Krainzia decipiens subsp. camptotricha
Mammillaria albescens
Mammillaria ancistria
Mammillaria decipiens
Mammillaria decipiens subsp. albescens
Mammillaria decipiens subsp. camptotricha
Neomammillaria camptotricha
Neomammillaria decipiens
Pseudomammillaria albescens
Pseudomammillaria camptotricha
Pseudomammillaria decipiens

Habitat:

M. camptotricha is native to Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northeast and Mexico Southwest

Description:

M. camptotricha is a small succulent belonging to the Cactaceae botanical family. The spherical stem branches at the base and it is made of small, fleshy, cylindrical tubercles. The plant can reach up to 10 cm in height. The stem is dark green and is covered with orange, cross-shaped spines 3 cm long, borne at the apex of tubercles. Blooming occurs during the summer and blossom are borne at the axil of tubercles. Flower are diurnal, funnel-shaped, small and white in color.

Cultivation:

This is a slow growing plant, easy to cultivate. The plant needs a full light sun exposure but is recommended to avoid direct sun-light in the hottest periods. The plant does not like temperatures below 5°C so it needs to be placed indoors in the coldest periods. The soil should be mixed with pumice, clay and loam to allow the drainage and prevent the root rot, the plant is prone to it indeed. Remember to use a perforating pot to drain excess water. Watering can be done regularly in Spring and Summer: during the vegetative period you can water the plant (every 7 days), checking that the soil is completely dry before watering again; in winter you should stop the watering to allow the plant to enter dormancy. If you want a faster and lush growth you can fertilize the plant once a month during the growing season with the specific fertilizers for cacti; stop fertilizing throughout the winter. If the pot starts to be too small for the plant you can repot the plant in a pot 2 cm wider. Repotting should be done early in the growing season with fresh new potting soil.

Propagation:

The easiest and fastest method of propagation is to use seed but is also possible to propagate the plant by stem cuttings. By cutting you can make the cut during the spring and then let the cutting dry; after a few days the cut surface will dry and a callus will form, then place the cutting in a mixture of sand, soil and pumice. To increase the success of propagation you can make two or more cuttings at the same time. For cuttings it is recommended temperatures around 20 °C. By seed it is very simple to propagate the plant, it is enough to sow the seed in a sandy loam soil and keep it with a high level of humidity and at temperature of 14 C°.

Curiosity:

The name of the genus come from the Latin word ‘Mammilla’ that means ‘teat’ or ‘nipple’.

Official Web Site:
www.giromagi.com

Italian Blog:
www.giromagicactus.com

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