Small Cacti

Gymnocactus saueri was rediscovered by Friz Maurice in the 80's after being discovered by Baum and P. Sauer in 1925 and described in 1928 by Bodeker and remaining undiscovered since that time.

This Gymnocactus Saueri produced a dozen flowers.

It comes from Salamanca near san Vicente, Tamaulipas, Mexico.




Echinocereus Laui was discovered by Alfred Lau in 1974 and subsequently named for him. It comes from near El Trigo ranch, East of Yecora from the State of Sonora, Mexico.

It will eventually cluster after some time but the plant remains small.

Mammillaria painteri forma monstrosa

Mammillaria painteri fa. monstrosa is a well known form in cultivation. I have had Mammillaria bocasana cv. caterpincy. I suspect that both are the same cultivars.

Echinocereus davisii X E. pulchellus v. sharpii

This is a hybrid between Echinocereus davisii and Echinocereus pulchellus v. sharpii. Only this plant survived and it has been grafted on a pereskiopsis.

A few Mammillaria in flower

Mammillaria albata is considered a synonym of M. hahniana (M. bravoae) by some authorities and by others as a form of M. geminispina. Whatever it is, it is a very beautiful form. This form comes from Pedro Montoya (San Ciro) in the state of San Luis Potosi, Mexico.












Mammillaria petrophila is another beautiful cactus and rewards the grower with bright yellow flowers at this time of year. It hails from Southern Baja California, South of La paz, Mexico.






Mammillaria hernandezii is one of the smallest in the Genus Mammillaria and also displays some of the largest flowers for its size. From Sierra Mixteca, Oaxaca, Mexico.








Mammillaria laui v. subducta is one of three varieties of the same species found by Dr. Alfred Lau in the vicinity of La Reja, in the State of Tamaulipas, Mexico. The other two being M. laui v. laui and M. laui v. dasyacantha.

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.

Cactus Chimera

The name Chimera comes from Greek mythology refering to a fire-breathing she-monster in having a lion's head, a goat's body, and a serpent's tail.

A Cactus Chimera result when two grafted cacti get distinct characteristics of two species on the same plant. In this case a Gymnocalycium mihanovicii cv. 'hiboton' was grafted on Myrtillocactus geometrizans.

Somehow the DNA of the Myrtillocactus passed to the Gymnocalycium and the result is a mix of two species in one. The species showing both of the two species characteristics.

Note: Chimeras are not hybrids. Hybrids occur with the fusion of two gametes from each individual.

Chimeras are very rare and highly valued. Nobody knows how they occur. It could be the result of a viral infection.