Notocactus mammulosus (Lem.) A.Berger ·

🌱 Morphology
  Up to the mountains... Generally a solitary cactus, with a globose to short-cylindrical body, dark green and with a broadly depressed apex, which can reach approximately 10 cm in height and 5–6 cm in diameter, although larger specimens exist. It features 16–21 vertical ribs, deeply divided into prominent, mammillated tubercles. The areoles are woolly and situated sunken between the tubercles. It develops 8–13 thin, yellowish radial spines, and 2–4 more robust central spines, yellow to reddish-brown in color, generally pointing upwards and downwards.

🌍 Distribution, habitat, and family
It is distributed throughout Uruguay, southern Brazil, and northern and central Argentina, from low-altitude areas up to approximately 1,500 m. It inhabits rocky outcrops, grasslands, and pampas, growing among stones and herbaceous vegetation. It belongs to the Cactaceae family, Cactoideae subfamily, Notocacteae tribe.

❄️ Temperature · USDA Zone 9b
It tolerates minimum temperatures of down to −4 ºC when dry and well-acclimatized. In winter, it must be protected especially from persistent humidity.

☀️ Lighting
It needs very intense lighting and several hours of direct sun, with progressive adaptation. As a guideline during active growth, a DLI PAR of 20–30 mol·m⁻²·day⁻¹ is recommended.

💧 Growth cycle and watering
Winter rest. During spring and summer, it is recommended to water abundantly and let the substrate dry out completely before the next watering. In winter, it should be kept practically dry and with good ventilation.

🌸 Flowering
The flowers appear forming a crown around the apex. They are large for the size of the plant, approximately 4–5 cm in length and up to 5–8 cm in diameter depending on the population, with intensely yellow petals and, on the outer pieces, a characteristic reddish line on the midrib. The stigma is purple.

🌿 Nutrition
During the active growth period, a fertilizer with a high content of assimilable calcium and low levels of nitrogen is recommended, such as Desert CHOICE® Cactáceas, applied once a month when watering. Before flowering, it can be supplemented with Desert CHOICE® Floración.

This is an inimitable xerophyte grown in Madrid in a technological square pot and with the substrate activated with mycorrhizal fungi.

 📏 The sizes of our basic collection xerophytes are as follows:

S -> 9cm x 9cm

M-> 14cm x 14 cm

L->16cm x 16 cm

* As this is an online purchase, the appearance of the specimen sent may vary slightly from the product image. The measurements of the plant are specified in the photo description, but this may also vary slightly because it is a living being! Each of the Desert CITY plants has unique characteristics.