Mammillaria is one of the larger genera of cacti having 250 species that range from the southern U.S.A down through Mexico, Central America and northern South America. Some varieties are also found in the West indies. Mammillarias are generally globular, becoming columnar with age. They can be solitary but many eventually produce clumps several feet across. The fascinating variety of their spination and pretty flowers make them very popular cacti.
      Mammillarias differ from other cacti in that the areoles are carried on spirally arranged nipple like tubercules instead of ribs. In fact the genus name comes from the latin for "nipple". Also the flowers aren't born from the areoles, they form in the sometimes wooly space between areoles. Flowers come in almost every color of the rainbow. Some are tiny and insignificant while others can be quite large and colorful. Different species of Mammillarias bloom at various times of year. Someone with a large variety of Mams can be treated to flowers almost year round, especially if greenhoused for the winter.
     Spination varies from the tiny harmless spines of M. luethyi and M. theresae to the long needle sharp spines of M. petersonnii. They can be hooked or straight and range in color from white, tan, yellow, red, brown, or black. Some Mammillarias such as M. hahniana produce hair like spines and wool between the areoles which protects the plant from sun and cold.
      Most Mammillarias are easy to grow in a standard well draining cactus mix, and appreciate strong light and warmth. Most can probably handle some direct sun in gentler climates than mine. When actively growing water regularly, but in winter water sparingly if at all. Other Mams such as M. luethyi are considered difficult to grow and rot prone. For this reason these plants are most often found grafted. Most other Mammillarias however can be easily grown from seed or offsets.

I now have quite a few Mammillarias.
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Mammillaria bombycina	Mammillaria elongata	Mammillaria senilis "Powder Puff"	Mammillaria hahniana "Old Lady"
Mammillaria camptotricha "Birds Nest"	Mammillaria carmenae	Mammillaria grahamii "Fish Hook"	Mammillaria magnimamma
Mammillaria matudae "Thumb Cactus"	Mammillaria saboa	Mammillaria laui subducta	Mammillaria schumannii
Mammillaria microhelia	Mammillaria parkinsonii "Owls Eyes"	Mammillaria duoformis "Tenango de valle"	Mammillaria magnifica
Mammillaria rhodantha ssp. pringlei	Mammillaria theresae	Mammillaria bocasana "Powder Puff"	Mammillaria gracilis
Mammillaria geminispina	Mammillaria longiflora	Mammillaria prolifera	Mammillaria apozolensis var saltensis
Mammillaria luethyi	Mammillaria melanocentra	Mammillaria nana ssp. duwei	Mammillaria plumosa
Mammillaria nivosa	Mammillaria spinosissima	Mammillaria voburnensis ssp. eichlamii	Mammillaria scrippsiana
Mammillaria karwinskiana	Mammillaria bocasana "Fred"	Mammillaria humboldtii	Mammillaria mazatlanensis ssp. patonii
Mammillaria longimamma	Mammillaria huitzilopochtli	Mammillaria candida	Mammillaria crinita f. zeilmanniana
Mammillaria schiedeana	Mammillaria guelzowiana	Mammillaria spinosissima ssp. pilcayensis

All images and text are copyright 2006-7 D.S. Franges, unless otherwise noted.