Snowballs

One of my cacti (what else) is growing those cute, fluffy buds. I was gonna wait for the flowers, but I couldn't resist shooting them now. Like little white bunny tails hidden between those nasty spines.

This is Notocactus mueller-melchersii, also called** Parodia**. It has been with me for about 3 years now and it is the first time it will bloom. I have a second one in the same age, but much smaller. I planted it in clay pot as an experiment to compare the two later, and it lever grew as good as this one and is about half the size. Also, it will not bloom this year.

And if that wasn't enough, also 3 years ago I sowed a bunch of seeds and now I have a whole bunch of little 3 year olds :)

Aren't the buds adorable?
But don't let the fluff fool ya. There tons of tiny little and vicious spines hiding in the fluff. Later, when the flower finally develops those will be at at the very bottom. Disguised..

I suspect the flowers to be gigantic and yellow by the way.
Few more weeks...