A Mammillaria confusion

[metsolt]

Hello, everyone!

So I got this cutting of a Mammillaria a few months ago and now I wanna ID it, but I couldn't find an exact match on Cactiguide lists. I think I was told it's columnar, but I am not sure. I didn't see the mother plant or the flowers so...

I am not sure what consists as a good clue in Mammillaria IDing, but I went with the fact it has 2 central spines and 12 radials. The closest I got is M. mammillaris, but it's not an exact match because it has 3 centrals. Maybe I'm looking for completely wrong things here, I don't know.

[Lucy_V]

Its shape and combination of white and black (dark) spines resembling Mamm. melaleuca (as its name suggests - "melan" - black,"leukos" - white in Greek). If it blooms with bright yellow scented flowers - it is the one

[metsolt]

Its shape and combination of white and black (dark) spines resembling Mamm. melaleuca (as its name suggests - "melan" - black,"leukos" - white in Greek). If it blooms with bright yellow scented flowers - it is the one

Maybe, but the shape in general doesn't look right.

I now suspect it to be a Mammillaria backebergiana. We'll see when it flowers, hopefully next year!

[DaveW]

Yes tubercles at first seem a little too short for a Dolichothele, which Mammillaria melaleuca was. However they seem to be much shorter in that species than in the other Dolichothele's, but still do not look not quite right? As Lucy said flowers will decide.

http://www.llifle.com/Encyclopedia/CACT ... _melaleuca

[anttisepp]

And too long for backebergiana... IMHO

[7george]

What about Mammillaria melanocentra ssp. rubrograndis ?

[metsolt]

What about Mammillaria melanocentra ssp. rubrograndis ?

Still not sure. Spines on mine are all equal length and all pictures of M. m. rubrograndis have centrals way longer than radials. I'll just leave it and hope it flowers next year.

[DaveW]

As with all cacti, flowers narrow down the field. If you can't identify it now post it again when it flowers.