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Cactus polythele (Mart.) Kuntze
Revis. Gen. Pl. 1: 261. 1891 [5 Nov 1891]
Family: CACTACEAE

Accepted Scientific Name: Mammillaria polythele Mart.
Hort. Reg. Monac. (1829) 127, nomen; et in Nov. Actorum Acad. Caes. Leop.-Carol. German. Nat. Cur. 16(1): 328, pl. 19 328 1832. Mart. & Schrank

Cactus polythele (Mammillaria polythele) Photo by: Carolina González
The central spines (sometimes only 2 at first and pointing up and down, later 3-4 or more) looks like radials and are often confused with them, the radial are absent or if present very short.

Synonyms:

See all synonyms of Mammillaria polythele
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Accepted name in llifle Database:
Mammillaria polythele Mart.
Hort. Reg. Monac. (1829) 127, nomen; et in Nov. Actorum Acad. Caes. Leop.-Carol. German. Nat. Cur. 16(1): 328, pl. 19 328 1832.
Synonymy: 24 Accepted name in llifle Database:
Mammillaria polythele subs. durispina (Boed.) D.R.Hunt
Mammillaria Postscripts 6: 7 7 1997
Synonymy: 6 Accepted name in llifle Database:
Mammillaria polythele subs. obconella (Scheidw.) D.R.Hunt
Mammillaria Postscripts 6: 7 7 1997
Synonymy: 5 Cultivars (1):
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Common Names include:
ENGLISH: Pin-cushion

Subspecies, varieties, forms and cultivars of plants belonging to the Mammillaria polythele group

  • Mammillaria ingens Backeb.: has solitary stems up to 40 cm tall and 15 cm in diameter. Distribution: Biosphere Reserve of Barranca de Metztitlán, Hidalgo, Mexico.
  • Mammillaria kewensis Salm-Dyck: has 3 to 6 spine, somewhat spreading, brown with dark tips. Distribution: Querétaro, Guanajuato, Hidalgo.
  • Mammillaria polythele Mart.: (subsp. polythele) has stems 8-10 cm in diameter and only 2 spines at first, later 3-4. Distribution: Hidalgo, Guanajuato, and Queretaro.
  • Mammillaria polythele subs. durispina (Boed.) D.R.Hunt: has stems 5-6 cm in diameter and 6-8 radiating spines that vary in length to 15 mm. Distribution: Guanajuato and Queretaro.
  • Mammillaria polythele subs. obconella (Scheidw.) D.R.Hunt: has stems up to 15 cm in diameter and 4 unequal spines arranged like a cross c. 2 cm long, ± equal, somewhat recurved, yellowish at first, later grey. Distribution: Barranca de Venados and near Metzquititlan, Hidalgo.
  • Mammillaria polythele cv. Stachellos hort.: has a blue-green pinecone like, stem up to 8-10 cm in diameter, 30-40 cm tall. Tubercles Prominent, globular conical clothed in white wool with few or no spines.


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