Mammillaria bocasana

Mammillaria bocasana cultivars can be found in many forms. Some of them are so bizarre that it takes some persuasion to believe that they are bocasana at all.


This picture shows a double headed normal M. bocasana. It produces yellowish-white flowers and long thin pink fruits.










This picture shows M. bocasana v. splendens cristata. The plant resembles M. plumosa.








M. bocasana 'Fred' is a monstrose form of the species. There are several stories circulating of how Fred got its name:

1. It is attributed to Frank Harwood., which having had visitors asking what it is he replied ' I do not know, let us call it Frank'. This was in the early Seventies or late sixties.

2. From Ron Studior, a now out-of-business nursery in Texas, in the sixties.

3. Chuck Hanson's Arid Lands Greenhouses in Tucson, Arizona in the eighties.



Since then several other monstrose forms have appeared that are not 'Frank'. The one on the left is a typical example. It produces montrose and cristate forms on the same plant and grafted cuttings can take their own shape.

Mammillaria albata

This cactus has been referred to M. geminispina v. leococentra. It has shorter spines then M. geminispina.

Lobivia silvestrii

Lobivia silvestrii variegata is one of the most commercially available cacti. The Chinese are selling them in their thousands. These variegates have to be grafted because they lack chlorophyll.

Christate variegates of this species have been making it to collections. There are several forms of Lobivia silvestrii because they have been hybridised extensively with other Lobivia species and with Echinopsis. Hybrid species are selected mostly for their pretty flowers which range from yellow to red and there are some with bicolored flowers.

Other variegates have been selected for body colour or thickness. Thus, one can find orange coloured L. silvestrii. I find that the yellow variants turn dark orange at the top when held in very strong sunlight producing flower shoots that not all of them open.

Lobivia silvestrii was named Chamacereus silvestrii when it was first discovered. It was eventually placed in the Genus Lobivia and subsequently the Genus Echinopsis, because the Genus Lobivia has now been amalgamated with Echinopsis. A trend not everyone agrees with. The common name is peanut cactus.


The debris on some of my pictures are caused because I am always accidentally toppling the cacti in my greenhouse due to lack of space.







The monstrose plant on the left is also the same species. It is a mutation that has occurred in a private cactus collection in Malta. I have seen similar mutation forms (yet distinct enough), from Spain eBay sellers. The monstrose form is not very easy to keep and needs to be re-grafted after a few years.

Obregonia denegrii

This fabulous cactus is one of my favorites. It has dark green stem and the cristate form is much sought after by collectors. I have had the pleasure of finding species of these cacti at San Vicente, Tamaulipas, Mexico. They are very difficult to find.





Variegated forms of this cactus are now making their way to collectors. One can find partially variegated and complete variegated forms as in this picture. Variegated forms have to be grafted because of lack of chlorophyll.

Astrophytum myriostigma crest

Again, this shows how diverse Astrophytum cultivars can be. This one is a cristate form of A. myriostigma.

See also my older posts for more freaky Astrophytums.

Astrophytum crests and monstose

Astrophytum ornatum on its own roots. A very large cristate form.














A. myriostigma monstrose. This is actually a hybrid and is known as 'lotusland'.












The picture on the left shows another type of myriostigma which offsets at the top as well as from the side. This is called proliferous type and strictly speaking is not a monstrose but an aberration non the less.















This is a monstrose form of A. myriostigma. Each individual part is small unlike its original species.

More cristate/monstrose/variegates

The first picture shows Eulychnia castanea known as varispiralis due to its spiral shape. The second picture shows Astrophytum myriostigma cristata. There are several forms of A. myriostigma that are cristate.

My name is Amante Darmanin, this Blog is about cactus and succulents and anything that is of interest in the cactus world.

I have about 2000 cacti and other succulents and am currently building a cristate, monstrose and variegate cactus collection.

I also have a collection of cactus club badges that I am collecting from around the world.

So if you have any of these and would like to exchange with me or ask me about them, please do not hesitate to email me. I will try to post pictures every week.