Mammillaria pectinifera

A tiny, rare cactus (often placed as Solisia pectinata) from the Tehuacán region of Puebla and Oaxaca, covered in flat, comb-like white spines. It is CITES Appendix I listed, slow, and very prone to rot, so most cultivated plants are seed-raised and often grafted.

At home, aim for

Day Cool-growingTargets in Plantistry

Night A clear drop at nightTargets in Plantistry

Humidity Dry airBand in Plantistry

Light Bright, filtered lightDLI and PPFD in Plantistry

Expects a seasonal restGrows in the ground

Where it grows wild

Grows almost flush with the ground on limestone hills and slopes in dry scrub and grassland, often partly sheltered by grasses or shrubs.

Records from 1575 to 2394 m, median 2032 m.

PueblaOaxaca

🔒 Growing it like that

The wild conditions above, turned into targets for a shelf, a tent or a greenhouse. The full profile has:

✓ Day and night temperature targets, and the limits it tolerates

✓ Humidity band, and how to hold it

✓ Light as DLI and PPFD for a grow light

✓ Wet and dry seasons, and whether to rest it

✓ Substrate and airflow

✓ A step-by-step setup to grow it like the wild

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More Mammillaria

Mammillaria luethyi Mammillaria prolifera Mammillaria albilanata Mammillaria erythrosperma Mammillaria spinosissima Mammillaria voburnensis Mammillaria glassii Mammillaria vetula Mammillaria herrerae Mammillaria mercadensis Mammillaria albiflora Mammillaria bombycina All 145 →

Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, used under its CC BY-SA 3.0 licence, unmodified.