Mammillaria glassii f. crested

The name of the species was chosen in honor of the famous cactus collector Charles E. Glass. The crested shape of this cactus presents the typical compact fan arrangement, which makes each exemplar absolutely unique, never identical to another and for this reason so much appreciated by collectors. In its normal form it is a small globose cactus, which does not exceed the 10 cm of diameter but tends rather with the growth to form large tufts consisting of groups of numerous heads, often all of similar size. It has cylindrical tubercles without latex inside, completely hidden by the thorns, which are the real peculiarity of this cactus and make it so appreciated: they are white radial spines and similar to hair, soft, very thin and very thick, that cover the whole plant. The soft look due to the fluff contrasts with the single central plug that comes out of each areola and is instead rigid and hooked, but so small that it often disappears in the middle of the "hair"!