After several name changes including Dolichothele and Neomammillaria, this plant was finally described as Mammillaria carretii by Pierre Rebut in 1898. The native range is from the eastern areas of Mexico in Coahuila and Nuevo León states, covering an area of approximately 100×200km, and it grows along with several other Mammillaria species.
This plant pictured has a dull green, globose body with pinkish white flowers and was grown from seed offered by the Mammillaria Society in 1989. It clumps slowly making it a good candidate for the show bench.
There are no specific cultivation requirements that you would not normally apply for growing many cactus species. I grow this plant in a John Innes and grit mix and I water with a low nitrogen fertiliser from around March to September. It is kept completely dry over the winter months.
Text and photographs David Bruno
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