Mammillaria lasiacantha
lacespine nipple cactus
Family CactaceaeAlso called small pincushion cactus, biznaga de espinas pubescentes
About
Mammillaria lasiacantha, the lacespine nipple cactus, is a small cactus of limestone desert hills in northern Mexico and the south-western United States.
Care at a glance
- Pet safety
- Listed as non-toxic to pets, but the sharp spines can cause injury. General guidance for the genus
- People
- Listed as non-toxic to humans, but the sharp spines can cause injury. General guidance for the genus
- Light
- Full sun or bright direct light, with some afternoon shade in hot weather. General guidance for the genus
- Water
- Let the soil dry out completely between waterings; stop watering while dormant in winter. General guidance for the genus
- Temperature
- Grows best at about 21–27 °C (70–80 °F); prefers a cool winter rest at 7–13 °C (45–55 °F). General guidance for the genus
- Soil
- Well-drained cactus mix with added grit or coarse sand. General guidance for the genus
- Propagation
- Seed, or by dividing offsets (pups). General guidance for the genus
- Growth rate
- Slow. General guidance for the genus
“General guidance for the genus” marks advice sourced for the genus as a whole rather than this species.
Field notes
Distribution & habitat
Coahuila and Durango in Mexico and Arizona, New Mexico and Texas in the United States, with reports from Chihuahua, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Sonora and Zacatecas. It grows on limestone soils of desert hills and tablelands at 700–2,400 m.
Conservation
On the IUCN Red List (Least Concern); threatened locally by illegal collection for the ornamental trade and possibly by land-use change.
Habitat
- Altitude
- Not recorded
- Altitude class
- —
- Native to
- Mexico, United States
- IUCN status
- Least concern
Cultivation
- Difficulty
- Not recorded
- Temperature
- Grows best at about 21–27 °C (70–80 °F); prefers a cool winter rest at 7–13 °C (45–55 °F).
Text adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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