Mammillaria sonorensis f. crestata

The crested shape of this plant has a fan crest, a feature that is never identical in plants, making each of them unique in its kind and for this reason strongly sought after by collectors. The name of this species comes from the Mexican state of Sonora, where a high presence of the cactus is detected, accustomed to living along rocky slopes of high mountains. In its normal form it is a pleasant plant with a globose stem, slightly depressed at the apex that does not exceed 8 cm in diameter. It is equipped with conical and very protruding tubercles, among which is often present an abundant white fluff, in strong chromatic contrast with the beautiful opaque emerald green of the epidermis. From roundish areolas, rather woolly only during the growth phase, come out radial needle-like thorns of cream color, arranged like a sunburst, and longer and robust central spines facing outwards, that take on a reddish hue and tend to stretch even more at the apex of the cactus. The perfectly symmetrical and graceful appearance of M. sonorensis is accentuated in spring with the blossoming of a wonderful fuchsia floral corolla characterized by darker veins on the midline of the petals.