Mammillaria elegans

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Since 4 Aug 2013

Mammillaria elegans DC.
Mém. Mus. Hist. Nat. xvii. (1828) 111.
Family: CACTACEAE

Accepted Scientific Name: Mammillaria geminispina Haw.
Philos. Mag. Ann. Chem. . lxiii. (1824) 42. ( Replaced synonym of: Neomammillaria neoelegans Y.Itô 1981 )

Mammillaria elegans Photo by: Valentino Vallicelli

Origin and Habitat: Mexico.

Synonyms:

Mammillaria elegans DC.

Cactus elegans (DC.) Kuntze
Neomammillaria elegans (DC.) Britton & Rose

See all synonyms of Mammillaria geminispina

Common Names include:
SPANISH (Español): Cabeza blanca

Description: Mammillaria elegansSN|20850]]SN|13998]] A.P. de Candolle 1828. is a 'nomen confusum' (confused name) also applied to Mammillaria haageanaSN|14012]]SN|20850]] ssp elegans and referes bolth to Mammillaria geminispinaSN|20850]]SN|14012]] with latex in the stem (Subgenus Mammillaria section Hydrochylus series supertextae ) and to Mammillaria haageanaSN|13998]]SN|20850]], without latex in the stem ( Subgenus Mammillaria, section Galactophylous, series Leucocephale)
Habit: Solitary, seldom branching cactus.
Stem: Globose, 5-8 cm in diameter, slightly depressed at the apex with little wool. Abundant wool in the young axils. Don’t contain latex.
Radial spines: 16-18, white, slender, needle-like, interlacing somewhat curved, longer at the sides, 1-5 mm long.
Central spines: 2, often only 1, stout needle-like to awl-shaped, straight or a little bent, grey-brown, darker at the tip, 5-8 mm long.
Flowers: Bright rose-red with darker midstripe, 15-20 mm long.

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Subspecies, varieties, forms and cultivars of plants belonging to the Mammillaria geminispina group

Mammillaria elegans DC.: is a 'nomen confusum' (confused name) applied bolth to Mammillaria geminispina with latex in the stem and to Mammillaria haageana, without latex in the stem.
Mammillaria geminispina Haw.: (var. geminispina) it has 2 central spines of different length, white with darker tips.
Mammillaria geminispina f. alba hort.: (or "nivea" ) Cultivated form with pure white spines (same as Mammillaria geminispina ssp. leucocentra?)
Mammillaria geminispina var. brevispina (Hildm.) Backeb.: form with 2 short darker tipped central spines.
Mammillaria geminispina subs. leucocentra (A.Berg) D.R.Hunt: With 5-6 pure white central spines.
Mammillaria geminispina var. monacantha Lem. & Monv.: Form with only one central spine.
Mammillaria geminispina var. nobilis (Pfeiff.) Backeb.: This is one of the best forms with very long central spines that are of the same lenght.
Mammillaria geminispina var. nobilis f. cristata
Mammillaria geminispina var. tetracantha Lem. & Monv.: Form with 4 central spines.

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Bibliography: Major references and further lectures
1) David Hunt, Nigel Taylor “The New Cactus Lexicon” DH Books, 2006
2) John Pilbeam (1999) “Mammillaria The Cactus File Handbook” Nuffield Press.
3) Stuart Max Walters “The European Garden Flora: Dicotyledons (Part I)” Cambridge University Press, 1989
4) Edward F. Anderson “The Cactus Family” Timber Press, 2001

Mammillaria elegans Photo by: Valentino Vallicelli

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Cite this page: "Mammillaria elegans" Text available under a CC-BY-SA Creative Commons Attribution License. www.llifle.com 14 Nov. 2005. 16 Mar 2025. </Encyclopedia/CACTI/Family/Cactaceae/13998/Mammillaria_elegans>