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Mammillaria candida

First description by Scheidweiler, Bull Acad. Sci. Brux. 5:496 (1838)

Body: Plants solitary or clustering. Stems depressed globose to elongated, blue-green, to 30 cm (12 in) high, 6 - 14 cm (2.4 - 2.5 in) in diameter, covered by dense white spines.

Roots:

Sap:

Tubercule arrangement:

Tubercule: Broadly cylindrical, obtuse, not grooved.

Axil: With 4 to 7 white bristles.

Radial spine: As many as 120, white, spreading, to 15 mm (0.6 in) long.

Central spine: 8 - 12, white with pinkish tips, to 10 mm (0.4 in) long.

Flower: Rose pink or white with greenish red midveins, 2 - 3 cm (0.8 - 1.2 in) in diameter; pericarpels and floral tubes naked.

Fruit: Ovoid, red to pink to whitish, juicy, indehiscent, 7 - 14 mm (0.3 - 0.6 in) long.

Seed: Black, with flat or domed testa, not pitted, 1 mm in diameter.

Flowering period in Cultivation (Europe):

Minimum temperature:

Habitat Substrate: Well drained, rocky crevices.

Geographic Distribution: Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, San Luis Potosi and Tamaulipas, Mexico. Altitude 500 to 2.500 m.

Comments: In culture, open, free draining substrate. Limestone added to the potting soil is beneficial; watering should be done with care to avoid rotting. To encourage the development of the heavy white spination, light levels should be high.

Bibliography: <br>John Pilbeam (1999) - Mammillaria The Cactus File Handbook - page 62. <br>Edward F. Anderson (2001) - The Cactus Family - page 451.

Synonymes: <br>M. candida var caespitosa <br>M. candida var estanzuelensis <br>M. candida ssp ortizrubiona <br>M. candida var rosea <br>M. estanzuelensis <br><a href="http://www.mammillarias.net/gallery/syn_specie.php?searchstring=ortizrubiona&lg=uk">M. ortizrubiona</a> <br>Mammilloydia candida