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Mammillaria glassii is a species of cactus native to Mexico. It comprises two subspecies: M. glassii subsp. glassii and M. glassii subsp. ascensionis. In its natural habitat, high in the mountains, it often grows on rocky slopes in the shade. It is grown as an ornamental plant, appreciated for its dense spines and pink flowers, which are especially large in the subsp. ascensionis.
The discovery of the species caused a sensation among cactus fanciers. The first to enter cultivation was M. glassii subsp. glassii, appreciated for its dense white spination and attractive flowers, but it was soon eclipsed by M. glassii subsp. ascensionis, which has larger, showier flowers. All variants of the species are easy to grow, but require sharp drainage. They are best grown in shallow pots in ample sunlight.
Mammillaria glassii is endemic to Mexico, where it usually grows on steeply sloped rocks and often in shade, even full shade. M. glassii subsp. glassii has been recorded in the Mexican states of Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas at elevations of 1,450 to 2,250 meters. M. glassii subsp. ascensionis is found at 2,400 to 2,750m altitude in Nuevo León, growing in moss and limestone as well as in crevices on steep cliffs, where it receives sunlight only in the late afternoon. The former var. siberiensis, now included in this subspecies, gets its name from a village near which it was discovered.
Mammillaria albicoma · Mammillaria albiflora · Mammillaria albilanata · Bernal Cactus · Mammillaria aureilanata · Mammillaria backebergiana · Mammillaria baumii · Mammillaria beneckei · Powder Puff Cactus · Mammillaria bombycina subsp. perezdelarosae · Mammillaria bombycina · Mammillaria brandegeei
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Mammillaria glassii by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
