Mammillaria painteri forma mostruosa
(Syn: Mammillaria crinita ssp. crinita "mostruosa")

Mammillaria painteri forma mostruosa
 

Description: Usually this M crinita foma mostruosa is offered with the incorrect name of M. painteri (monstrous form). It is a well known cultivar characterized by very reduced or absent spines, free branching, and with small pink flowers.
Remarks: The flowers of plants grafted on O. compressa are not only very abundant but also reach a whole maturation and open to a splendid blossoming. In comparison the flowers of plants on their own roots and on different grafting stocks are smaller, imperfect, and usually fail to open completely.

A) grafted on Opuntia compressa
B) grafted on Trichocereus
C) on its own roots

Grafted on Trichocereus

Grafted on Opuntia compressa

Scientific Name: Mammillaria painteri forma mostruosa

Origin:  Garden origin (Nursery produced cultivar)

Conservation status:   Listed in CITES appendix 2.

• Mammillaria crinita ssp. crinita "mostruosa"
• Mammillaria painteri v. mostruosa

Notes: Mammillaria crinita ssp. crinita "mostruosa" looks almost identical to Mammillaria cv. CATERPINCY.  We do not exclude that the two different named cultivars might be the same.

 
Pot 6x6 A plant grafted on Opuntia compressa. This grafting technique greatly enhances the production of flowers!

 
Mammillaria painteri forma mostruosa:
A) grafted on Opuntia compressa
B) grafted on Trichocereus
C) On its own roots
 

Cultivation: It is a  species of easy culture, recommended for any collection, it doesn't require any special treatment. Water regularly in summer, but do not overwater (Rot prone) Use pot with good drainage and a very porous potting media,  keep dry in winter. Feed with a high potassium fertilizer  in summer. It is quite frost resistant if kept dry, hardy as low as -5° C (some reports give it hardy to -5°C) Sun Exposure: High levels of light are needed to flower and for good spine development.  Can be sunburned if moved from shade/greenhouse into full sun too quickly. During the spring it may be able to take full sun until the heat arrives at the end of spring. In an area that has hot afternoon sun, it may be able to take full morning sun, but requires afternoon shade or afternoon light shade. If grown correctly, it will reward the grower with generous displays of small pink flowers followed by red berries.
Clustering in cultivation  and easily flowered. For best results, use a shallow pot, and only use the smallest diameter pot that will accommodate the plant. Sensitive to red spider mite. Overhead watering is helpful in controlling mites.


Propagation: Division, wait until the offsets that appear at the base of old clustered specimens are 1/3 the size of the parent and then detach and plant.

Photo of conspecific taxa, varieties, forms and cultivars of plants belonging to the Mammillaria crinita complex  (This taxon has lots of synonyms (like most mammillaria) with several controversial varieties and subspecies):

• M. brevicrinita (M. crinita)
• M. duwei (m. crinita ssp. duwei)
• M. glochidiata var. xiloensis (M. crinita)
• M. painterii forma mostruosa (M. crinita fa. mostruosa. )
• M. sheinvariana (M. crinita)
• M. trichacantha (M. crinita)
• M. wildii forma cristata (M. crinita subsp. wildii fa. cristata)