The Mammillaria tezontle cactus is a mossy cherry-size globe frizzed with feathery spines. It grows only on volcanic tezontle rock and is nearly extinct in the wild. But it can still be found in home plant collections. How does that work? More here: thewalrus.ca/the-cactus-tha… 1/5
The cactus is at once endangered and plentiful—as long as you look not in its native habitat but in private collections around the world. The market for smuggled and seed-grown cacti has ensured that this rare cactus can be found everywhere. thewalrus.ca/the-cactus-tha… 2/5 
When is a species considered extinct—when it no longer exists in the wild or when it no longer exists at all? Amir Aziz tackles that question here: thewalrus.ca/the-cactus-tha… 3/5 #ClimateChange #Extinction
Mammillaria tezontle’s situation highlights the debate between “ex situ” conservation, or conserving a species outside its native habitat, and “in situ” conservation, or conserving a species within its native habitat. Read about it here: thewalrus.ca/the-cactus-tha… 4/5
It may seem unjust that a cactus should be taken from the wild to survive only on windowsills. In many ways, writes Aziz, a cactus in a pot could be considered as “alive” as a butterfly pinned inside a glass case. Read the full story here: thewalrus.ca/the-cactus-tha… 5/5
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