🌸 Desert.plants.passion / Dichotomous Branching in Mammillaria hahniana
M. hahniana / 2018.
Phenomenon of dichotomous branching is not common in cacti at all. But when it comes to genus Mammillaria it is not rare. M. perbella and M. parkinsonii are most famous for dichotomy, but it can happen to other species of Mammillaria too.
It starts with one head and one tip of growth. After some time one head becomes two, than two heads become four and so on. Plant decides to divide main tip of growth instead of making offshoots or just remaining solitary.
M. hahniana / 2018.
I wondered if I would ever see this phenomenon !! ?!
I have neither M. perbella nor parkinsonii of which this phenomenon is certainly expected. But still I wondered If I would have opportunity to watch process of dichotomy on one of my old Mammillarias.
And my wish is fulfilled!
On the photo below you can see how my oldest M. hahniana looked last year. It was more than 17 years old, and had no offshoots, flowering and giving many seeds every year.
M. hahniana with seed pods/ 2017.
I have noticed this spring that something is happening with it’s growth peak. And when I saw the buds coming from two centers, it was clear to me what is happening.
😊
Dichotomy!
!!!
Gorgeous!
I will enjoy watching how it becomes double-headed, and afterwards it may also become four-headed, and then.. who knows. Let it live long!
M. hahniana / 2018.
Thank you for your attention!
Some of my other cacti & other succulents stories:
Cacti Flowering for the First Time (1)
Echinocereus scheeri
Amazing Mediolobivia
Spring flowers (5)
Spring flowers (4)
If you are interested in reading about desert plants from my own growing experience fell free to follow and enjoy!
@andrijana
Beautiful pictures!!
I have such a mammillaria.
And there is a cactus that has a dichotomous fork.
I do not remember how old he is, but he had a big branch.
I attach the photo of the beginning of its branching.
Yes, that's it! :)
So, crinitas (is it M. crinita?) can do it also.Nice to know..
I do not know the name of this cactus :-(
As I already wrote, we have flowers sold without a name ...
Especially cacti!
Very rarely when the pots are written with the names of flowers :-(((
I have searched internet..... making true researches!! about almost all cacti genus (and of course I do knot know everything).... I'm reading some journals, and some scientific researches, and field reports just to understand more about characteristics and ID of cacti.
In recent years I started ordering plants and seeds over internet, so now I receive plants with full name. But at first years I was buying cacti in supermarkets and some flower shops, and all of them were without name ... it took me a long time to find them a right ID! So I understand your situation.
Of seeds, I do not want to grow a cactus, or rather, the reason for the lack of time.
In addition, I have little patience :-)
That is a beauty, Ludmila
:-)
Seems a cream and strawberry cake :)
:) What a yummy association!
Hehheh ;)
Congratulations!
Thank you! I'm really happy about it.
I would be, too. I have a euphorbia cutting that had a crested offset that I was excited to see. The offset died though. I think your mamillaria is much more stable, though
Some crested species are not easy to reroot or to grow... at all. Especially when it comes to Euphorbias. I found a way of rooting Euphorbias: put a cutting in a soil that is in a plastic !! pot and cover it with stones because in that way soil remains moist long time. They like water in time of rooting. And of course, you have to have fresh cutting of Euphorbia. ... Most Euph. are just not easy plants to grow.
Euphorbia can be difficult, everything must be just right for them. I'm interested to hear what you say about watering while rooting. Many people say never water but my experience is that they do need water and the plastic is necessary, too
In my experience they need regularly watering while rooting (that is totally opposite practice of rooting cacti), and plastic pot to keep the soil moist. But later when stability is achieved, soil must dry before next watering, and it just depends on species how good drainage should be. Some are easy to grow (like famous E. milii), and some are hard to grow, especially those pretty caudiciform species, that I really have to have all one day!
Yes they vary a lot in their habits. My favourite are the South African Euphorbias, especially the caudiciforms, Meloformis and Obesa