Xerophyte

Central Spines

3-4 (sometimes to 8), acicular, straight, stiff (sometimes one of the central spines is hooked), white pinkish to brownish with brown tips, 8-10 mm long.

Seeds

Nearly round, dull black with basal hilum.

Description

Mammillaria albicansSN|5348]]SN|5348]] ia a clustering cylindrical cactus which arc densely covered with short white spines nearly obscuring the stem and often pure white. The plant can produce clumps of 5-15 branches.

Taxonomy

Mammillaria sleviniiSN|5352]]SN|5352]] is synonymous of Mammillaria albicansSN|5348]]SN|5348]], they are are very similar, namely size and form of stems, shape of spines, flowers, etc. and the two plants are not readily distinguishable if not for the stems, simple or few branched (1-10 compared to 5-15 branched in M. albicans) moreover it has darker spines and the spine-areoles are not densely lanate.

Tubercles

Broadly conical, pale green, without latex, 5-6 mm broad at base, 4-5 mm long, closely crowded and obscured by spines. The axil is woolly, especially in the flowering zone and bears few bristles, white with dark brown tips.

Flowers

Around the top, white to pale pink, with pinkish mid-veins, up to 20 mm in diameter. Outer perianth segments pinkish. Stigma lobes pink to purplish.

Blooming Season

Summer (June to August).

Stem

At first globose but becoming cylindrical and then pale green, 10-20 cm tall, 3-6 cm in diameter branching basally.

Radial Spines

14-18(-21), slender, acicular, straight, stiff, widely spreading, closely interlaced, white, pinkish or pale brown, slightly darker to nearly black at tips 5 - 8 mm long.

Fruits

Club-shaped, orange to red, 10-18 mm long.

Areoles

Densely white-woolly in youth.