I.D. needed

[Peter A]

I bought this years ago labelled Notocactus concinnus, but I think it may be N. mammulosus. Can anybody help?

[JaneO]

I think Notocactus coccinus is now Parodia mammulosa? Someone will deny or confirm. Notocactus was merged back under the Parodia wing so does not exist anymore. Jane

[anttisepp]

Looks like Notocactus submammulosus.

[Stuart]

Plenty of Notocacti still existing side by side with Parodias in my greenhouse, along with Neoporterias and a few Eriosyce. No need to change names every time some botanist comes up with a new theory.
Stuart

[Peter A]

It is the spination that is worrying me. All the pictures that I have seen recently labelled N. (or P.) concinnus have had hair-like or bristle-like spines, more like apricus. The spines on this plant and broad and very stiff, and this is true even of the seedlings. I have, on the other hand, come across a couple of pictures labelled mammulosus, which look right. When I looked up N. (or P.) mammulosus, however, on a couple of on-line sites, it was given as a pseudonym for apricus. So was submammulosus. It is certainly not apricus, though. What specific name ought I to give it? At the moment I'm inclined to keep concinnus...

[Wilk]

It looks like Notocactus horribilis to me

[Werewolf]

As you say, Peter, N. concinnus - and all the other various names currently lumped under Parodia concinna, eg. N. apricus, N. tabularis, etc - has bristly spines, varying in colour from pale yellow to deepest red. N. mammulosus - and most of the others lumped under Parodia mammulosa, including N. submammulosus - has much more robust supination and, very often, a shiny body.

I would say your plant is definitely not N. concinnus and extremely unlikely to be anything closely related to it. Given the delimitation of N. mammulosus was controversial even prior to the combination with Parodia, it would seem to me to be the safest name to apply, as any more narrowly defined epithet (around a dozen or so) that might be appropriate would have been sunk thereunder anyway! You could always use Notocactus aff. mammulosus (to suggest an affinity with), if you normally prefer narrow concepts of species to broader ones.

[Peter A]

Given the delimitation of N. mammulosus was controversial even prior to the combination with Parodia, it would seem to me to be the safest name to apply.

Thank you: mammulosus it will be then.

[rodsmith]

No need to change names every time some botanist comes up with a new theory.
Stuart

Hear hear!