Xerophyte

Central Spines

About 4 to 6 straight or more or less curved up to 1,5 cm long, vividly coloured reddish-brown but also straw-coloured or golden yellow. The bottom half of the cactus has spines that are white or grey and appear to be dying.

Seeds

Brown to orange-brown.

Description

The standard Mammillaria rodantha is a columnar cactus that characteristically divide dichotomously with age forming large clumps.

Axils

With fine bristles.

Tubercles

Conical to cylindrical, without latex.

Flowers

Deep-pink to a purple colour, 20-23 mm long and 15-18 mm in diameter, stigmas usually purple.

Blooming Season

The species flowers for very long periods of time. It starts blooming in the spring and continues to bloom until summer, but some plant will produce another ring of flowers in late October or even November.

Crested Growth

This is a nice crested plant particularly appreciated by collector for its free blooming habit. It can form large tangled, brain like mounds in few years.

Stem

Fan shaped, dark green, usually 15-40 cm in height and up 8-10(13) cm in diameter. White wool can be seen growing on the top part of the plant body.

Radial Spines

Approximately 16 to 24, 3-10 mm long, glossy-white or yellowish.

Fruits

15-25 mm long. Cylindrical to club shaped, purplish-pink frequently greenish at the base.