Identities needed

[Les.Needham]

It is a pain being able to buy decent plants but always unnamed. That is the situation in Cyprus. Can anyone help me with the names of these three? Please.

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[Ross M]

At a guess -

Mammillaria mystax, spinosissima 'Uno Pico', carmenae.

[Les.Needham]

I can't match up any of them. Particularly carmenae!

[Werewolf]

1. I think this is closer to M. karwinskiana, possibly one of the shorter spined forms of ssp. nejapensis, than the related M. mystax, which usually has pink flowers. This is a species that can offset or divide dichotomously.

2. M. spinosissima 'Pico', a popular and attractive cultivar with normally only a single central spine and no radials.

3. Probably a hybrid of M. carmenae and M. laui, judging by the colour of the flowers and spines.

[DaveW]

I always wondered with Mammillaria carmenae are all these reddish spined forms hybrids, or is there a range of spine colours in habitat?

The whitish-yellow spined form in the second link is what I normally associate with carmenae from habitat:-

http://www.cactus-art.biz/schede/MAMMIL ... rmenae.htm

http://mammillaria.forumotion.net/t1058 ... a-carmenae

I think 'Uno Pico' is correct for the other one. Not 'Un Pico' as missspelt in this link:-

http://www.cactus-art.biz/schede/MAMMIL ... n_pico.htm

DaveW

[anders]

I think 'Uno Pico' is correct for the other one. Not 'Un Pico' as missspelt in this link:-

I am not sure of where the name comes from or even what language it is, but according to one of my workmates who is from Honduras, 'Un pico' is the correct form in Spanish.

[DaveW]

Yes it's strange Anders as looking on the Web both forms are used for the Mammillaria. You almost equally get both versions quoted. For instance off one Web site for Uno:-

""One" in Italian, Spanish and other Romance languages."

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_does_un_mean_in_spanish

http://common-words-translated.findthed ... in-English

Evidently then UN = a, whilst UNO = one? Looking up PICO I get:-

"Depending on how it's used it can mean different things. A sharp point (end of a pencil, knife, etc.) ; to poke; beak of an animal; a sting..".

So I think the name Uno Pico = Mammillaria "one spine" is more likely correct than Un Pico = Mammilaria "a spine"?

DaveW

[anders]

If I understood him right, "uno" is the word used when counting (1, 2, 3 ...) without referring to anything particular, but when put in front of a noun it becomes either "un" (masculine) or "una" (feminine"), depending on the gender of the noun. Hm, I have a friend who has taught Spanish, she must know the grammar terms and rules.

Some people call it just 'pico', which probably is the least correct, but at least more difficult to misspell.

[Phil Hocking]

I always thought it was 'Un Pico'. We have a Peruvian woman at work who might know, assuming it is in Spanish.

Somerset Phil

[DaveW]

"One" in Italian, Spanish and other Romance languages."

Could it be Italian not Spanish? Though looking on the Web Pico seemingly means "small" in Italian, which would not be appropriate in the Mammillaria's case?

DaveW