Mammillaria bocasana (Powder Puff Cactus)

Scientific Name

Mammillaria bocasana Poselg.

Common Names

Powder Puff Cactus, Powder Puff Pincushion, Powderpuff Pincushion Cactus, Snowball Cactus, Fishhooks

Synonyms

Mammillaria bocasana subsp. bocasana, Mammillaria haehneliana, Mammillaria knebeliana, Mammillaria seideliana, Neomammillaria bocasana

Scientific Classification

Family: Cactaceae
Subfamily: Cactoideae
Tribe: Cacteae
Subtribe: Cactinae
Genus: Mammillaria

Description

Mammillaria bocasana is a clumping, spherical, blue-green cactus up to 3 inches (7.5 cm) in diameter with white hair-like radial spines (one hooked), up to 0.8 inch (2 cm) long and 1 to 7 reddish brown central spines up to 0.4 inch (1 cm) long. Funnel-form flower is creamy white to pinkish in color, up to 1 inch (2.5 cm) long and up to 0.6 inch (1.5 cm) in diameter.  The fruit is cylindrical, rosy-pink to red in color and up to 1 inch (2.5 cm) long.

Hardiness

USDA hardiness zone 8a to 11b: from 10 °F (−12.2 °C) to 50 °F (+10 °C).

How to Grow and Care

To encourage better flowering, allow the plants to enjoy a cooling period in the winter and suspend watering. Unlike many other cacti, which use their ribs as storage devices, the Mammillaria feature raised tubercles, from which spines emerge. When you water, the tubercles will expand to allow for increased water storage. The flowers emerge from the axils of these tubercles on the previous year’s growth, which accounts for their interesting halo effect. It’s imperative that the cactus is not exposed to prolonged dampness and sitting water. Never let your cactus sit in a dish of water. Lastly, make sure to fertilizer during the growing season for the best results.

Repot as needed, preferably during the warm season. To repot a cacti, make sure the soil is dry before repotting, then gently remove the pot. Knock away the old soil from the roots, making sure to remove any rotted or dead roots in the process… – See more at: How to Grow and Care for Mammillaria

Origin

Native to Mexico (San Luis Potosi, Zacatecas).

Subspecies, Varieties, Forms, Cultivars and Hybrids

• Mammillaria bocasana ‘Fred’
• Mammillaria bocasana ‘Multilanata’
• Mammillaria bocasana ‘Roseiflora’
• Mammillaria bocasana var. splendens

Links

• Back to genus Mammillaria
• Succulentopedia: Browse succulents by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, Origin, or cacti by Genus

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