• Frailea carminifilamentosa Kilian ex Backeb.
• Astrophytum carminifilamentosum (Kilian) Halda & Malina

• Frailea pumila Britton & Rose
• Astrophytum pumilum (Lem.) Halda & Malina
• Echinocactus pumilus Lem.
• Frailea pumila subs. alegretensis Prestlé
• Frailea pumila subs. aquatica Prestlé
• Frailea pumila subs. aurantiaca var. Prestlé Prestlé
• Frailea pumila subs. boosiana Prestlé
• Frailea pumila subs. concordiaensis Prestlé
• Frailea pumila subs. corrienta Prestlé
• Frailea pumila var. curvispina Prestlé
• Frailea pumila subs. editha Prestlé
• Frailea pumila subs. iguaraica Prestlé
• Frailea pumila subs. meseta Prestlé
• Frailea pumila subs. multiceps Prestlé
• Frailea pumila subs. necopina Prestlé
• Frailea pumila subs. neoeditha Prestlé
• Frailea pumila subs. pubispina Prestlé
• Frailea pumila subs. tenuissima Prestlé
• Frailea camaquensis L.Horst
• Frailea aff. pumila HU85 West of Minas de Camaqua, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
• Frailea carminifilamentosa Kilian ex Backeb.
• Astrophytum carminifilamentosum (Kilian) Halda & Malina
• Frailea carminifilamentosa subs. dyntariana Prestlé
• Frailea carminifilamentosa subs. ibicuiensis Prestlé
• Frailea carminifilamentosa subs. itaquiensis Prestlé
• Frailea carminifilamentosa subs. ustinaldensis Prestlé
• Frailea carminifilamentosa var. winkelmanniana Kilian ex Backeb.
• Frailea carminifilamentosa f. winkelmanniana (Kilian) Prestlé
• Frailea pumila subs. albiareolata (Buining & Bredero) P.J.Braun & Esteves
• Astrophytum albiareolatum (Buining & Bredero) Halda & Malina
• Frailea albiareolata Buining & Bredero
• Frailea pumila subs. chrysacantha (Hrabě) Prestlé
• Astrophytum chrysacanthum (Hrabě) Halda & Malina
• Frailea chrysacantha Hrabě
• Frailea pumila subs. colombiana (Werderm.) Prestlé
• Echinocactus colombianus Werderm.
• Frailea colombiana (Werderm.) Backeb.
• Frailea pumila subs. hlineckyana (Červinka) Prestlé
• Frailea hlineckyana Červinka
• Frailea pumila subs. jajoiana (Červinka) Prestlé
• Frailea jajoiana Červinka
• Frailea pumila var. maior F.Ritter
• Frailea pumila subs. maior (F.Ritter) P.J.Braun & Esteves
• Frailea pumila f. rubrispina hort.
• Frailea pumila subs. uruguayana Prestlé

• Frailea pumila subs. deminuta (Buining & Bredero) Prestlé
• Astrophytum deminutum (Buining & Bredero) Halda & Malina
• Frailea deminuta Buining & Bredero

Description: Frailea carminifilamentosaSN|2188]]SN|2204]], is a local or morphological form of the very variable Frailea pumilaSN|2204]]SN|2188]]. It very similar to the standard species but has carmine filaments (hence the name). Apart for the filaments the differences with F. pumila are very minimal and most botanist agree on the fact that both should all be included in the F. pumila, and the two plants are not readily distinguishable when not in flower.

Notes: Most fraileas are autogamous, or self-fertile to their own pollen and self-fertilization occurs in the closed flower. They produces viable seeds without the flower having opened. This phenomenon is called cleistogamy. The accepted opinion is that Frailea flowers only open in full sun, otherwise fruits will form cleistogamously. In reality relations are quite different: Both Frailea grahlianaSN|3610]]SN|3628]] and Frailea schilinskyana produce buds in the form of a miniature plant of barely 10 mm in section, which do not open but which may still become seed-bearing fruits. Only when the young plants grow larger and are amply surrounded with offsets, do buds develop which pass into open flowers. Plants having open flowers for the first time, also produce again in the following year (pre-supposing that growth continues in the same manner) a few cleistogamous flowers first and after that open flowers. Only when the plants are so large that they flower with open flowers right at the start of the season, does this ability apply to even the smallest offset. Frailea aurea, Frailea carminifilamentosa, Frailea pseudograhliana, and Frailea pumilia, behave in this same way. Larger-growing Fraileas such as Frailea bruchii, Frailea dadakiiSN|3628]]SN|3610]], Frailea pygmaea, which seldom make offsets, bear fewer flowers. Here again, open flowers only appear on older plants. For every standstill in growth, the plant answers with cleistogamous flowers - in the summer weather too. In the event of the standstill in growth occurring in spring - for instance owing to repotting - then open flowers only come in summer. This will have led to the wrong opinion, that Fraileas flowers only open in full sunshine.
Cleistogamous buds are initially conical, then shortly a change occurs in the bud development - that part of the bud at the base starts growing thicker and petals are never formed. The buds that form flowers grow a slender egg shape and open quite some time later. Under normal circumstances the flowers opens in the greenhouse at a temperature above 20°C. They stay open only a few hours around noon, and they do not open again the next day. It is of interest that most of the open flowers do not form seeds if, one does not assist by pollinating by hand.
[W. Simon “The behaviour of some cacti during fertilisation cleistogamy.” The Chileans '69 pp.18-20 Volume 3 Number 14 (Translated from Succulenta for May 1967 by H. Vriend) <http://www.grahamcharles.org.uk/Chileans%20editions/Issue14.pdf>]

Bibliography: Major references and further lectures
1) W. Simon “The behaviour of some cacti during fertilisation cleistogamy.” The Chileans '69 pp.18-20 Volume 3 Number 14 (Translated from Succulenta for May 1967 by H. Vriend)

Cultivation and Propagation: Frailea carminifilamentosaSN|2188]]SN|2204]] (Frailea pumilaSN|2204]]SN|2188]]) is a summer grower species relatively easy to grow. It is sometime seen as a grafted plant but grows very well on its own roots too. Characteristically, during the dry season plants retract completely under the ground both in the wild and in cultivation too.
Growth rate: Fraileas are relatively short-lived plants, only lasting few years (rarely more than 10-15 years in cultivation) and, possible annuals in habitat! In fact they reseed readily around the base of the mother plant from self-set seed if kept reasonably moist during warm weather. It is a
good idea to keep restarting them from seed; what looks like a healthy big plant may suddenly die of old age without warning.
Soil: Use mineral well permeable substratum with little organic matter (peat, humus), plants may become too elongated if compost is too rich.
Repotting: Re-pot every 2 years. Use pot with good drainage.
Fertilization: It grows much faster with a low nitrogen content fertilizer in spring and summer. Potassium helps maintaining the plants compact and healthy.
Watering: Requires careful watering to keep plant compact. Water sparingly from March till October, the thin, fibrous roots suffer if there is humidity, therefore the plant should be watered only when the surrounding terrain is dry. Keep dry as soon as the temperature starts dropping in October and keep it perfectly dry in winter at temperatures from 5 to 15 degrees centigrade.
Hardiness: They need a minimum temperature of 5-10° C (but occasionally temperatures of a few degrees below 0° are not dangerous if kept on the dry side prior to, and during, cold weather). It tends to rot in winter during the resting phase, if kept wet. In the rest period no high atmospheric humidity!!
Sun Exposure: Light shade to full sun, its colour tends to richer and darker when grown in light shade. In a shaded position the plants grow faster, but are not flat shaped and dark coloured.
Uses: It is an excellent plant for container growing. It always looks good and stays small.
Pests & diseases: It may be attractive to a variety of insects, but plants in good condition should be nearly pest-free, particularly if they are grown in a mineral potting-mix, with good exposure and ventilation. Nonetheless, there are several pests to watch for:
- Red spiders: Red spiders may be effectively rubbed up by watering the infested plants from above.
- Mealy bugs: Mealy bugs occasionally develop aerial into the new growth among the wool with disfiguring results, but the worst types develop underground on the roots and are invisible except by their effects.
- Scales: Scales are rarely a problem.
- Rot: Rot is only a minor problem with cacti if the plants are watered and “aired” correctly. If they are not, fungicides won't help all that much. To prevent rottenness it is also advisable to surround its root neck by very rough sand or grit, this help a fast water drainage.
Propagation: With fresh harvested seeds or (rarely) by grafting. Fraileas set seed (when well grown) and grow easily from seed. In fact, they are reported to set seed even if the flower doesn’t open. This self-fertilization is called cleistogamy. Seedlings dislike strong light and dry conditions and need to be repotted frequently during the first few years. However, old plants become senile and have a tendency to succumb to disease and a weak root system. At this stage, as is well known, they die suddenly. So, after they reach about 4-5 cm in diameter grow them slowly, and adopt a new repotting period, using intervals of every 3-4 years. Additionally grow them under drier conditions or with stronger sunlight. But plants are sometine grafted to accelerate growth, but the grafted plants are typical rather tall growing, compared with plants on their own roots that are usually more flat to the ground.