Mammillaria
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 A cactus of genus Mammillaria in flower
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171 known species: see Species list. |
The genus Mammillaria is one of the largest in the cactus family Cactaceae, with currently 171 known species and varieties recognized. The first was described by Carolus Linnaeus as Cactus mammillaris in 1753, deriving name from Latin mammilla = nipple, referring to the tubercules 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.
The distinctive feature of the genus is the specific development of an areole, that is split into two clearly separated parts, one occurring at the tubercule'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 flowers and fruits, 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. Tubercules can be conical, cylindrical, pyramidal or round. The roots are fibrous, fleshy or tuberous. The flowers 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 color, often with a darker mid-stripe. 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.
Mammillarias have extremely variable spination from species to species, and attractive flowers, making them specifically attractive for cactus hobbyists. Mammillaria plants are considered easy in cultivation, though some species are among the hardest cacti to grow.
Most of the mammillarias are native to Mexico, but some come from the southwest USA, the Caribbean, Colombia, Venezuela, Guatemala and Honduras.
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[edit] Classification
The large and diverse genus Mammillaria has seen multiple attempts over time to subdivide the species in it into smaller groups within the genus or splitting it to multiple genera, for better understanding of the plants relationship.
The early classifications were performed by Pfeiffer (1837), Salm-Dick (1845) and Engelmann (1856). The genus Mammillaria included members of some modern genera like Coryphanta and Ariocarpus at that time. Classifications of Schumann (1898), Britton and Rose (1923), Berger (1929), Buxbaum(1951-56), Moran (1953) followed, splitting the genus in parts and combining it back together again.
Latest classification works were performed by cactus specialists Hunt, Reppenhagen, Luthy with a lot done in the searching of the meanings and value of the original plant descriptions, synchronizing it with modern taxonomic requirements and studying of morphology of plants and seeds, as well as ecological aspects of the genus. These works delivered a lot better understanding of Mammillaria taxa.
Currently the classification of Mammillaria is in the state where few newly discovered species are likely, though some new species may yet be found; and chaos of names created earlier by commercial plant collectors gets sorted out. Many names that were introduced for plants barely differentiated by a shade of flower color or variation in spination are eliminated, in attempt to have the use of names consistent with it in the rest of the botany world. The count of taxa, at one time way over 500, is now is below 200. Some genera (Dolichothele, Mammillopsis, Krainzia and others) have been submerged back into Mammillaria, and others (Coryphantha, Escobaria) were confirmed as separate.
The intense DNA studies of the genus is going on right now, with preliminary results published for over a hundred taxa, and this promising approach might soon end arguing about the subject. Based on DNA results, the genus does not seem to be monophylic and is likely to be split into two large genera, one of them possibly including certain species of other close genera like Coryphantha, Ortegocactus and Neolloydia.
Before these DNA studies are complete the classification of the genus Mammillaria as well as closely related genera will be getting obsolete with every new data publication, often showing surprises here and there, when species considered closely related appearing not more than look alike and species considered to be as distant as separate genus are turning out to be very close relatives.
[edit] Synonymy
The following genera have been brought to synonymy with Mammillaria:
- Bartschella Britton & Rose
- Cactus L.
- Chilita Orcutt
- Cochemiea (K.Brandegee) Walton
- Dolichothele (K.Schum.) Britton & Rose
- Ebnerella Buxb.
- Haagea Fric
- Krainzia Backeb.
- Lactomammillaria Fric (nom. inval.)
- Leptocladia Buxb.
- Leptocladodia Buxb.
- Mamillaria F.Rchb. (orth. var.)
- Mamillopsis (E.Morren) F.A.C.Weber ex Britton & Rose
- Mammariella Shafer (nom. inval.)
- Mammilaria Torr. & A.Gray (orth. var.)
- Neomammillaria Britton & Rose
- Oehmea Buxb.
- Phellosperma Britton & Rose
- Porfiria Boed.
- Pseudomammillaria Buxb.
- Solisia Britton & Rose
[edit] Species List
171 species known, including:
- Mammillaria albicoma
- Mammillaria albilanata
- Mammillaria angelensis
- Mammillaria backegergiana
- Mammillaria blossfeldiana
- Mammillaria bocasana
- Mammillaria bombycina
- Mammillaria boolii
- Mammillaria carmenae
- Mammillaria candida
- Mammillaria celsiana
- Mammillaria columbiana
- Mammillaria compressa
- Mammillaria crinita
- Mammillaria crucigera
- Mammillaria decipiens
- Mammillaria dioica
- Mammillaria discolor
- Mammillaria dixanthocentron
- Mammillaria elongata
- Mammillaria fraileana
- Mammillaria geminispina
- Mammillaria glassii
- Mammillaria glochidiata
- Mammillaria grahamii
- Mammillaria grusonii
- Mammillaria guelzowiana
- Mammillaria guerreronis
- Mammillaria haageana
- Mammillaria hahniana
- Mammillaria hernandezii
- Mammillaria herrerae
- Mammillaria huitzilopochtli
- Mammillaria humboldtii
- Mammillaria johnstonii
- Mammillaria karwinskiana
- Mammillaria klissingiana
- Mammillaria krameri
- Mammillaria lauii
- Mammillaria lenta
- Mammillaria longiflora
- Mammillaria longimamma
- Mammillaria magnifica
- Mammillaria magnihahha
- Mammillaria magnimamma
- Mammillaria marksiana
- Mammillaria matudae
- Mammillaria melaleuca
- Mammillaria melanocentra
- Mammillaria mercadensis
- Mammillaria microhelia
- Mammillaria muehlenpfordtii
- Mammillaria multidigitata
- Mammillaria mystax
- Mammillaria nivosa
- Mammillaria nunezii
- Mammillaria parkinsonii
- Mammillaria perbella
- Mammillaria perezdelarosae
- Mammillaria petrophila
- Mammillaria petterssonii
- Mammillaria plumosa
- Mammillaria polythele
- Mammillaria rekoi
- Mammillaria rhodantha
- Mammillaria saboae
- Mammillaria sanchez-mejoradae
- Mammillaria sartorii
- Mammillaria schiedeana
- Mammillaria schumannii
- Mammillaria sempervivi
- Mammillaria sonorensis
- Mammillaria spinosissima
- Mammillaria standleyi
- Mammillaria supertexta
- Mammillaria surculosa
- Mammillaria tetrancistra
- Mammillaria theresae
- Mammillaria uncinata
- Mammillaria vetula
- Mammillaria voburnensis
- Mammillaria winterae
[edit] References
The species list is reproduced from cactiguide.com, which is sourced in turn from several books which are listed on that site. The principal book listed there is The Cactus Family by Edward F. Anderson.
[edit] External links
The important up-to-date internet resource is mammillarias.net, with complete species and varieties description, distribution maps and a large selection of photographs of all Mammillaria.. species both in nature and cultivated.
