Xerophyte

Habit

Plants usually solitary, deep-seated in substrate, and inconspicuous. .

Central Spines

One often wanting, hooked, whitish with dark tip, (4-)5-6(-11) mm long.

Seeds

Brownish black.

Description

Mammillaria stella-de-tacubayaSN|9183]]SN|9381]] is tiny Mammillaria species of the series Lasiacanthae with one distinctive hooked central spine (if present).

Flowering Period

Late winter to early spring

Tubercles

Short cylindrical, rounded apically in 13 – 21 series, axils slightly woolly.

Flowers

Funnel-form up to 15 mm long, white or reddish-white or greenish white usually with reddish brown midveins.

Spines

Plumose in seedlings, becoming smooth and naked in adult specimens, but sometime the plants may retain plumose spines at maturity.

Stem

globose, later somewhat cylindrical, light green or greyish green, 4 - 5 cm high, 4 - 6 cm in diameter, obscured by white spines. Without milky sap.

Radial Spines

35-40(-60), white, in separated clusters or more or less interlacing, radiating from areole and appressed against plant, bristle-like, 3-5(-7) mm long.

Fruits

9-15 mm long, club shaped, brownish red,.