Mammillaria
Encyclopedia
The genus
Mammillaria is one of the largest in the cactus family
(Cactaceae), with currently 171 known species
and varieties
recognized. Most of the mammillarias are native to Mexico
, but some come from the southwest USA, the Caribbean
, Colombia
, Venezuela
, Guatemala
and Honduras
.
The first was described by Carolus Linnaeus
as Cactus mammillaris in 1753, deriving name from Latin
mammilla, "nipple
", referring to the tubercle
s that are one of the plant's specific features. In 1812, the cactus specialist Adrian Haworth
described the genus Mammillaria to contain this and related species. Numerous species are commonly known as nipple cactus, fishhook cactus
or pincushion though such terms may also be used for related taxa, namely Escobaria
Mammillarias have extremely variable spination from species to species, and attractive flowers, making them specifically attractive for cactus hobbyists. Most mammillarias plants are considered easy to cultivate, though some species are among the hardest cacti to grow. Several taxa are threatened with extinction at least in the wild, due to habitat destruction
and especially overcollecting for the pot plant trade. Cactus fanciers can assist conservation
of these rare plants by choosing nursery-bred specimens (wild-collected ones are illegal to possess for the rarest species anyway). Besides helping to preserve rare plants, one can gain experience in growing and breeding cacti in general with nursery-bred rare mammillarias: several mammillarias are quite easy (for cacti) to grow from seeds. One such species, popular and widely available from nursery stock but endangered in the wild, is Mammillaria zeilmanniana
.
, that is split into two clearly separated parts, one occurring at the tubercle's apex, the other at its base. The apex part is spine bearing, and the base part is always spineless, but usually bearing some bristles or wool. The base part of the areole bears the flower
s and fruit
s, and is a branching point. The apex part of the areole does not carry flowers, but in certain conditions can function as a branching point as well.
The plants are usually small, globose to elongated, the stems from 1 cm to 20 cm in diameter and from 1 cm to 40 cm tall, clearly tuberculate, solitary to clumping forming mounds of up to 100 heads and possess radial symmetry. Tubercles can be conical, cylindrical, pyramidal or round. The root
s are fibrous, fleshy or tuberous. The flower
s are funnel
-shaped and range from 7 mm to 40 mm and more in length and in diameter, from white and greenish to yellow, pink and red in colour, often with a darker mid-stripe; the reddish hues are due to betalain
pigments as usual for Caryophyllales
. The fruit
is berry-like, club-shaped or elongated, usually red but sometimes white, yellow or green. Some species have the fruit embedded into the plant body. The seeds
are black or brown, from 1 to 3 mm in size.
at that time. Classifications by Schumann (1898), Britton and Rose (1923), Berger (1929) Buxbaum (1951–56) and Moran (1953) followed, splitting the genus in parts and combining it back together again.
Later classification was performed by the cactus specialists Hunt, Reppenhagen and Luthy, with a lot of work focusing on searching the meanings and value of the original plant descriptions, synchronizing them with modern taxonomic
requirements and studying the morphology of plants and seeds, as well as ecological aspects of the genus. These works helped to expand the understanding of Mammillaria taxa.
Currently the classification of Mammillaria is in a state where few newly discovered species are likely, though some new species may yet be found when the chaos of names created earlier by commercial plant collectors is sorted out. Many names that were introduced for plants barely differentiated by a shade of flower colour or variation in spination were eliminated in attempt to make the use of names consistent with the rest of the botanical world. The number of taxa, which at one time numbered above 500, is now below 200. Some genera (Dolichothele, Mammillopsis, Krainzia and others) have been merged back into Mammillaria, and others like Coryphantha
, Escobaria
and Mammilloydia were confirmed as separate.
Intense studies of DNA
of the genus are being conducted, with preliminary results published for over a hundred taxa, and this promising approach might soon end the arguments. Based on DNA research results, the genus does not seem to be monophyletic and is likely to be split into two large genera, one of them possibly including certain species of other closely related genera like Coryphantha, Ortegocactus and Neolloydia
.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Mammillaria is one of the largest in the cactus family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
(Cactaceae), with currently 171 known species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
and varieties
Variety (biology)
In botanical nomenclature, variety is a taxonomic rank below that of species: as such, it gets a three-part infraspecific name....
recognized. Most of the mammillarias are native to Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, but some come from the southwest USA, the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
and Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
.
The first was described by Carolus Linnaeus
Carolus Linnaeus
Carl Linnaeus , also known after his ennoblement as , was a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of binomial nomenclature. He is known as the father of modern taxonomy, and is also considered one of the fathers of modern ecology...
as Cactus mammillaris in 1753, deriving name from Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
mammilla, "nipple
Nipple
In its most general form, a nipple is a structure from which a fluid emanates. More specifically, it is the projection on the breasts or udder of a mammal by which breast milk is delivered to a mother's young. In this sense, it is often called a teat, especially when referring to non-humans, and...
", referring to the tubercle
Tubercle
A tubercle is generally a wart-like projection, but it has slightly different meaning depending on which family of plants or animals it is used to refer to....
s that are one of the plant's specific features. In 1812, the cactus specialist Adrian Haworth
Adrian Hardy Haworth
Adrian Hardy Haworth was an English entomologist, botanist and carcinologist.He was the son of Benjamin Haworth of Haworth Hall...
described the genus Mammillaria to contain this and related species. Numerous species are commonly known as nipple cactus, fishhook cactus
Fishhook cactus
Fishhook cactus is a common name for any hook-spined species of the genus Mammillaria. They are small cacti, usually growing up to 6-7 inches high, and are shaped similar to a barrel cactus...
or pincushion though such terms may also be used for related taxa, namely Escobaria
Escobaria
Escobaria or foxtail cactus is a genus of low-growing cacti that range from the southernmost parts of central and western Canada through northern Mexico, with one species in Cuba...
Mammillarias have extremely variable spination from species to species, and attractive flowers, making them specifically attractive for cactus hobbyists. Most mammillarias plants are considered easy to cultivate, though some species are among the hardest cacti to grow. Several taxa are threatened with extinction at least in the wild, due to habitat destruction
Habitat destruction
Habitat destruction is the process in which natural habitat is rendered functionally unable to support the species present. In this process, the organisms that previously used the site are displaced or destroyed, reducing biodiversity. Habitat destruction by human activity mainly for the purpose of...
and especially overcollecting for the pot plant trade. Cactus fanciers can assist conservation
Conservation biology
Conservation biology is the scientific study of the nature and status of Earth's biodiversity with the aim of protecting species, their habitats, and ecosystems from excessive rates of extinction...
of these rare plants by choosing nursery-bred specimens (wild-collected ones are illegal to possess for the rarest species anyway). Besides helping to preserve rare plants, one can gain experience in growing and breeding cacti in general with nursery-bred rare mammillarias: several mammillarias are quite easy (for cacti) to grow from seeds. One such species, popular and widely available from nursery stock but endangered in the wild, is Mammillaria zeilmanniana
Mammillaria zeilmanniana
Mammillaria zeilmanniana is a species of plant in the Cactaceae family. It is endemic to Mexico. Its natural habitat is hot deserts.-Description:...
.
Description
The distinctive feature of the genus is the specific development of an areoleAreole
Areoles are an important diagnostic feature of cacti, and identify them as a family distinct from other succulent plants. The areoles on cacti are clearly visible; they generally appear as small light- to dark-colored bumps, out of which grow clusters of spines...
, that is split into two clearly separated parts, one occurring at the tubercle's apex, the other at its base. The apex part is spine bearing, and the base part is always spineless, but usually bearing some bristles or wool. The base part of the areole bears the flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s and fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
s, and is a branching point. The apex part of the areole does not carry flowers, but in certain conditions can function as a branching point as well.
The plants are usually small, globose to elongated, the stems from 1 cm to 20 cm in diameter and from 1 cm to 40 cm tall, clearly tuberculate, solitary to clumping forming mounds of up to 100 heads and possess radial symmetry. Tubercles can be conical, cylindrical, pyramidal or round. The root
Root
In vascular plants, the root is the organ of a plant that typically lies below the surface of the soil. This is not always the case, however, since a root can also be aerial or aerating . Furthermore, a stem normally occurring below ground is not exceptional either...
s are fibrous, fleshy or tuberous. The flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s are funnel
Funnel
A funnel is a pipe with a wide, often conical mouth and a narrow stem. It is used to channel liquid or fine-grained substances into containers with a small opening. Without a funnel, spillage would occur....
-shaped and range from 7 mm to 40 mm and more in length and in diameter, from white and greenish to yellow, pink and red in colour, often with a darker mid-stripe; the reddish hues are due to betalain
Betalain
Betalains are a class of red and yellow indole-derived pigments found in plants of the Caryophyllales, where they replace anthocyanin pigments. Betalains also occur in some higher order fungi. They are most often noticeable in the petals of flowers, but may color the fruits, leaves, stems, and...
pigments as usual for Caryophyllales
Caryophyllales
Caryophyllales is an order of flowering plants that includes the cacti, carnations, amaranths, ice plants, and many carnivorous plants. Many members are succulent, having fleshy stems or leaves.-Description:...
. The fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
is berry-like, club-shaped or elongated, usually red but sometimes white, yellow or green. Some species have the fruit embedded into the plant body. The seeds
SEEDS
SEEDS is a voluntary organisation registered under the Societies Act of India....
are black or brown, from 1 to 3 mm in size.
Systematics
The large and diverse genus Mammillaria has seen multiple attempts to subdivide the species in it into smaller groups within the genus or attempts to split it to multiple genera for better understanding of the plants' relationship. Early classifications were performed by Pfeiffer (1837), Salm-Dick (1845) and Engelmann (1856). The genus Mammillaria included members of some modern genera like Coryphantha and AriocarpusAriocarpus
Ariocarpus is a genus of 8 species of succulent, subtropical plants of the Cactaceae family.The name comes from the ancient Greek "aria" and "carpos" because of the resemblance of the fruit of the two genus in acorn form...
at that time. Classifications by Schumann (1898), Britton and Rose (1923), Berger (1929) Buxbaum (1951–56) and Moran (1953) followed, splitting the genus in parts and combining it back together again.
Later classification was performed by the cactus specialists Hunt, Reppenhagen and Luthy, with a lot of work focusing on searching the meanings and value of the original plant descriptions, synchronizing them with modern taxonomic
Taxonomy
Taxonomy is the science of identifying and naming species, and arranging them into a classification. The field of taxonomy, sometimes referred to as "biological taxonomy", revolves around the description and use of taxonomic units, known as taxa...
requirements and studying the morphology of plants and seeds, as well as ecological aspects of the genus. These works helped to expand the understanding of Mammillaria taxa.
Currently the classification of Mammillaria is in a state where few newly discovered species are likely, though some new species may yet be found when the chaos of names created earlier by commercial plant collectors is sorted out. Many names that were introduced for plants barely differentiated by a shade of flower colour or variation in spination were eliminated in attempt to make the use of names consistent with the rest of the botanical world. The number of taxa, which at one time numbered above 500, is now below 200. Some genera (Dolichothele, Mammillopsis, Krainzia and others) have been merged back into Mammillaria, and others like Coryphantha
Coryphantha
Coryphantha or Beehive cactus is a genus of small to middle-sized, globous to short-columnar cacti. The genus is found from Mexico to southern New Mexico and Texas in the United States...
, Escobaria
Escobaria
Escobaria or foxtail cactus is a genus of low-growing cacti that range from the southernmost parts of central and western Canada through northern Mexico, with one species in Cuba...
and Mammilloydia were confirmed as separate.
Intense studies of DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
of the genus are being conducted, with preliminary results published for over a hundred taxa, and this promising approach might soon end the arguments. Based on DNA research results, the genus does not seem to be monophyletic and is likely to be split into two large genera, one of them possibly including certain species of other closely related genera like Coryphantha, Ortegocactus and Neolloydia
Neolloydia
Neolloydia is a genus of cacti. The genus is uniquely found in the dry scrub areas of southern Texas and the Chihuahua Desert of Northeast Mexico.-Taxonomy:...
.
Selected species
As noted above, some might not belong into this genus.- Mammillaria albicomaMammillaria albicomaMammillaria albicoma is a species of plant in the Cactaceae family. It is endemic to Mexico. Its natural habitat is hot deserts. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
- Mammillaria albifloraMammillaria albifloraMammillaria albiflora is a species of plant in the Cactaceae family. It is endemic to Mexico. Its natural habitat is hot deserts. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
- Mammillaria albilanataMammillaria albilanataMammillaria albilanata is a species of plant in the Cactaceae family. It is endemic to Mexico. Its natural habitat is hot deserts.-Source:* page on M. albilanata. Accessed 2 May 2009....
- Mammillaria angelensisMammillaria angelensisMammillaria angelensis is a species of plant in the Cactaceae family. It is endemic to Mexico, and can be found close to sea level, partway down the Baja California Peninsula. Its shape is globose or short cylindrical, and grows up to 15cm high. The flowers have two distinct colour forms...
- Mammillaria annianaMammillaria annianaMammillaria anniana is a species of plant in the Cactaceae family. It is endemic to Mexico. Its natural habitat is hot deserts.-Source:* Fitz Maurice, W.A. & Fitz Maurice, B. 2002. . Downloaded on 22 August 2007....
- Mammillaria aureilanata
- Mammillaria backegergiana
- Mammillaria barbata – Green Fishhook Cactus
- Mammillaria baumii
- Mammillaria berkianaMammillaria berkianaMammillaria berkiana is a species of plant in the Cactaceae family. It is endemic to Mexico. Its natural habitat is hot deserts.-Source:* Fitz Maurice, W.A. & Fitz Maurice, B. 2002. . Downloaded on 22 August 2007....
- Mammillaria blossfeldiana
- Mammillaria bocasana
- Mammillaria bocasana f. multilanata – Powder-puff Pincushion
- Mammillaria bocasana ssp. eschauzieri – Eschauzier's Pincushion
- Mammillaria bombycina – Silken Pincushion
- Mammillaria boolii
- Mammillaria brachytrichionMammillaria brachytrichionMammillaria brachytrichion is a species of plant in the Cactaceae family. It is endemic to Mexico. Its natural habitat is hot deserts.-Source:* Fitz Maurice, W.A. & Fitz Maurice, B. 2002. . Downloaded on 22 August 2007....
- Mammillaria candida
- Mammillaria carmenae
- Mammillaria carnea
- Mammillaria celsiana
- Mammillaria centricirrha
- Mammillaria columbiana
- Mammillaria compressa – Mother of Hundreds
- Mammillaria crinita – Rose Pincushion Cactus
- Mammillaria crocidata
- Mammillaria crucigera
- Mammillaria dawsonii
- Mammillaria decipiens
- Mammillaria dioicaMammillaria dioicaMammillaria dioica, also called the strawberry cactus, California fishhook cactus, strawberry pincusion or fishhook cactus, is a cactus species of the genus Mammillaria found in California and northwestern Mexico, including Baja California and the state of Sonora.The plant possesses short, firm...
– Strawberry Cactus, California Fishhook Cactus - Mammillaria discolor
- Mammillaria dixanthocentron
- Mammillaria duweiMammillaria duweiMammillaria duwei is a member of the genus Mammillaria in the family Cactaceae. Mammillaria duwei is cactus endemic to Mexico. Plants have dark green skin almost completely obscured by delicate white spines. Flowers are yellow and appear at the onset of Summer...
- Mammillaria elongataMammillaria elongataMammillaria elongata is a species of flowering plant in the Cactaceae family.- Cultivars :# Ladyfinger Cactus, Golden Stars# 'Copper King'# 'Cristata' # 'Julio'...
– Ladyfinger Cactus - Mammillaria fraileana
- Mammillaria gasserianaMammillaria gasserianaMammillaria gasseriana is a species of plant in the Cactaceae family. It is endemic to Mexico. Its natural habitat is hot deserts.-Source:* Fitz Maurice, W.A. & Fitz Maurice, B. 2002. . Downloaded on 22 August 2007....
- Mammillaria geminispina – Twin-spined Cactus
- Mammillaria geminispina f. cristate – Crested Twin-spined Cactus
- Mammillaria gigantea
- Mammillaria glassii
- Mammillaria glochidiataMammillaria glochidiataMammillaria glochidiata was a species of plant in the Cactaceae family. It was endemic to Mexico. Its natural habitat was hot deserts.-Source:* Fitz Maurice, W.A. & Fitz Maurice, B. 2002. . Downloaded on 22 August 2007....
– extinct in the wildExtinct in the WildExtinct in the Wild is a conservation status assigned to species or lower taxa, the only known living members of which are being kept in captivity or as a naturalized population outside its historic range.-Examples:... - Mammillaria goodridgei
- Mammillaria goodridgei var. goodridgei
- Mammillaria goodridgei var. rectispina
- Mammillaria grahamii – Arizona Fishhook Cactus
- Mammillaria grahamii var. oliviae – Pitahayita
- Mammillaria grusonii
- Mammillaria guelzowianaMammillaria guelzowianaMammillaria guelzowiana is a species of plant in the Cactaceae family. It is endemic to Mexico. Its natural habitat is hot deserts.-Source:* Fitz Maurice, W.A. & Fitz Maurice, B. 2002. . Downloaded on 22 August 2007....
- Mammillaria guerreronis
- Mammillaria guillauminianaMammillaria guillauminianaMammillaria guillauminiana was a species of plant in the Cactaceae family. It was endemic to Mexico. Its natural habitat was hot deserts.-Source:* Fitz Maurice, W.A. & Fitz Maurice, B. 2002. . Downloaded on 22 August 2007....
– extinct in the wildExtinct in the WildExtinct in the Wild is a conservation status assigned to species or lower taxa, the only known living members of which are being kept in captivity or as a naturalized population outside its historic range.-Examples:... - Mammillaria haageana
- Mammillaria hahniana – Old Lady Cactus
- Mammillaria hernandezii
- Mammillaria herreraeMammillaria herreraeMammillaria herrerae is a species of plant in the Cactaceae family. It is endemic to Mexico. Its natural habitat is hot deserts. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:* Fitz Maurice, W.A. & Fitz Maurice, B. 2002. . Downloaded on 22 August 2007....
- Mammillaria heyderi
- Mammillaria huitzilopochtli
- Mammillaria humboldtii
- Mammillaria johnstonii
- Mammillaria karwinskiana – Royal Cross Mammillaria
- Mammillaria klissingiana
- Mammillaria kraehenbuehlii
- Mammillaria krameri
- Mammillaria lasiacantha – Golf-ball Pincushion Cactus
- Mammillaria lauii
- Mammillaria lenta
- Mammillaria longiflora
- Mammillaria longimamma – Finger Cactus
- Mammillaria longimamma var. sphaerica – Longimamma Nipple Cactus
- Mammillaria luethyiMammillaria luethyiMammillaria luethyi is a species of plant in the Cactaceae family. It is endemic to Mexico. Its natural habitat is hot deserts.-Source:* Fitz Maurice, W.A. & Fitz Maurice, B. 2002. . Downloaded on 22 August 2007....
- Mammillaria magnifica
- Mammillaria magnihahha
- Mammillaria mainiae – Counterclockwise Pincushion
- Mammillaria magnimamma – Mexican Pincushion
- Mammillaria marcosiiMammillaria marcosiiMammillaria marcosii is a species of plant in the Cactaceae family. It is endemic to Mexico. Its natural habitat is hot deserts.-Source:* Fitz Maurice, W.A. & Fitz Maurice, B. 2002. . Downloaded on 22 August 2007....
- Mammillaria marksiana – Cabeza de Viejo
- Mammillaria mathildaeMammillaria mathildaeMammillaria mathildae is a species of plant in the Cactaceae family. It is endemic to Querétaro, México.Its natural habitat is hot deserts.It is of IUCN Red List Vulnerable status and threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
- Mammillaria matudae
- Mammillaria meicantha
- Mammillaria melaleuca
- Mammillaria melanocentra
- Mammillaria mercadensis
- Mammillaria microheliaMammillaria microheliaMammillaria microhelia is a species of plant in the Cactaceae family. It is endemic to Mexico. Its natural habitat is hot deserts.-Source:* Fitz Maurice, W.A. & Fitz Maurice, B. 2002. . Downloaded on 22 August 2007....
- Mammillaria microtheleMammillaria microtheleMammillaria microthele is a species of plant in the Cactaceae family. It is endemic to Mexico. Its natural habitat is hot deserts. It is threatened by habitat loss. This species is sometimes considered a subspecies of Mammillaria formosa.-Source:...
- Mammillaria muehlenpfordtii
- Mammillaria multidigitataMammillaria multidigitataMammillaria multidigitata is a species of flowering plant in the Cactaceae family. It was first described by Lindsay, Cact. Succ. J. 19: 152...
- Mammillaria mystax
- Mammillaria neopalmeri
- Mammillaria nivosa – Woolly Nipple Cactus
- Mammillaria nunezii
- Mammillaria obconella
- Mammillaria painteriMammillaria painteriMammillaria painteri is a species of plant in the Cactaceae family. It is endemic to Mexico. It is usually found near, but not limited to, San Juan del Rio, Guanajuato. It is commonly referred to as the Biznaguita in Spanish. It is also known by many to be synonymous with Mammillaria crinita...
- Mammillaria parkinsoniiMammillaria parkinsoniiMammillaria parkinsonii, also known as owl-eye pincushion or owl-eye cactus, is a species of flowering plant in the Cactaceae family. It was first described by Ehrenberg, linnaea 14: 375...
– Owl's Eyes - Mammillaria pectinifera – Conchilinque
- Mammillaria pennispinosaMammillaria pennispinosaMammillaria pennispinosa is a species of plant in the Cactaceae family. It is endemic to Mexico. Its natural habitat is hot deserts.-Source:* Fitz Maurice, W.A. & Fitz Maurice, B. 2002. . Downloaded on 22 August 2007....
- Mammillaria perbella
- Mammillaria perezdelarosae
- Mammillaria petrophila
- Mammillaria petterssonii
- Mammillaria plumosa – Feather Cactus
- Mammillaria polytheleMammillaria polytheleMammillaria polythele is a cactus in the genus Mammillaria, in Mexico.Solitary plants are cylindrical, with erect stem to about 24 inches high and 3 to 4 inches in diameter. The color is dark green to blue green.-Refercences:...
- Mammillaria pondii
- Mammillaria poselgeri
- Mammillaria pottsiiMammillaria pottsiiMammillaria pottsii, also known as fox-tail cactus or rat-tail nipple cactus, is a species of flowering plant in the Cactaceae family. It was first described by Scheer ex Salm-Dyck, Cact. Hort. 1849: 104 According to the United Nations Environment Programme, M. leona is a synonym for M. pottsii....
– Rattail Cactus - Mammillaria prolifera – Texas Nipple Cactus
- Mammillaria rekoi
- Mammillaria rettigianaMammillaria rettigianaMammillaria rettigiana is a species of plant in the Cactaceae family.It is endemic to Mexico.Its natural habitat is hot deserts. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
- Mammillaria rhodanthaMammillaria rhodanthaMammillaria rhodantha is a plant in the cactus family and is one of 171 species in the genus Mammillaria which are characterized by having nipple-shaped tubercles or prominences on their surface....
– Rainbow Pincushion - Mammillaria saboae
- Mammillaria sanchez-mejoradaeMammillaria sanchez-mejoradaeMammillaria sanchez-mejoradae is a species of plant in the Cactaceae family. It is endemic to Mexico. Its natural habitat is hot deserts.-Source:* Fitz Maurice, W.A. & Fitz Maurice, B. 2002. . Downloaded on 22 August 2007....
- Mammillaria sartorii
- Mammillaria schiedeana
- Mammillaria schumannii
- Mammillaria schwarziiMammillaria schwarziiMammillaria schwarzii is a species of plant in the Cactaceae family.It is endemic to Mexico.Its natural habitat is hot deserts.-Source:* Fitz Maurice, W.A. & Fitz Maurice, B. 2002. . Downloaded on 22 August 2007....
- Mammillaria sempervivi
- Mammillaria senilis - a.k.a. Cochemia senilis, a.k.a. Mamillopsis senilis, a.k.a. Mamillopsis diguetii, a.k.a. Mammillaria diguetii
- Mammillaria sheldonii – Sheldon's Pincushion
- Mammillaria sonorensis
- Mammillaria spinosissimaMammillaria spinosissimaMammillaria spinosissima, nicknamed the red-headed Irishman, is a type of cactus that grows in Guerrero, endemic to Mexico. It is very easy to grow, and produces seeds on its own by being self fertile...
– Red-headed Irishman- Mammillaria spinosissima ssp. pilcayensis – Bristle Brush Cactus
- Mammillaria standleyi
- Mammillaria stella-de-tacubayaMammillaria stella-de-tacubayaMammillaria stella-de-tacubaya is a species of plant in the Cactaceae family. It is endemic to Mexico. Its natural habitat is hot deserts.-Source:* Fitz Maurice, W.A. & Fitz Maurice, B. 2002. . Downloaded on 22 August 2007....
- Mammillaria supertexta
- Mammillaria surculosa
- Mammillaria tetrancistraMammillaria tetrancistraMammillaria tetrancistra is a species of fishhook cactus known by the common name common fishhook cactus. It is native to the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts of northern Mexico and the southwestern United States, where it grows in a variety of desert habitat types.-Description:This cactus generally has...
– California Pincushion - Mammillaria theresae
- Mammillaria thornberi – Clustered Fishhook Pincushion
- Mammillaria uncinata
- Mammillaria vetula
- Mammillaria voburnensis
- Mammillaria weingartianaMammillaria weingartianaMammillaria weingartiana is a species of plant in the Cactaceae family. It is endemic to Mexico. Its natural habitat is hot deserts.-Source:* Fitz Maurice, W.A. & Fitz Maurice, B. 2002. . Downloaded on 22 August 2007....
- Mammillaria wiesingeri
- Mammillaria winterae
- Mammillaria wrightii – Brown Pincushion
- Mammillaria wrightii ssp. wilcoxii – Wilcox's Nipple Cactus
- Mammillaria zeilmannianaMammillaria zeilmannianaMammillaria zeilmanniana is a species of plant in the Cactaceae family. It is endemic to Mexico. Its natural habitat is hot deserts.-Description:...
External links
- cactiguide.com is the main source for the species list, and in turn sourced from several books which are listed on that site.
- mammillarias.net is the main up-to-date internet resource, with complete species and varieties description, distribution maps and a large selection of photographs of all Mammillaria species both in nature and cultivated.
- SucculentCity Mammillaria Page: Cultivation Data and Photographs