Mammillaria candida
| Snowball cactus | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Cactaceae |
| Subfamily: | Cactoideae |
| Genus: | Mammillaria |
| Species: | M. candida |
| Binomial name | |
| Mammillaria candida | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
List
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Mammillaria candida, the snowball cactus, is a species of cactus endemic to Mexico.[1] When treated as Mammilloydia candida, it was the only species in the genus Mammilloydia.[2]
Description
Mammillaria candida is green, globe-shaped, but with age it becomes almost cylindrical. It can reach a diameter of about 15 centimetres (5.9 in) and a height of about 30 centimetres (12 in). As is usual in the genus Mammillaria, this plant has no ribs. The flowers are pink or white. The plant is covered by fine white hair. The spines are short, very numerous, usually snow white or brown.
Distribution
This species originates from Mexico (Coahuila, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí and Tamaulipas).
Habitat
The natural habitat of Mammillaria candida is the desert. It grows in the thickets of xerophytic shrubs on calcareous soils, at an altitude of 500–2,500 metres (1,600–8,200 ft) above sea level.
References
- ^ a b "Mammillaria candida Scheidw." Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2024-12-31.
- ^ Anderson, Edward F. (2001), The Cactus Family, Pentland, Oregon: Timber Press, ISBN 978-0-88192-498-5, p. 450