Mammiallaria marcosii, perhaps?

This Mammillaria has some hooked spines that are not very evident in the main photo:

https://2img.net/h/i120.photobucket.com/albums/o169/Perry_2007/Cacti/Mammillariasp01.jpg

but are more noticeable in the close-ups:

https://2img.net/h/i120.photobucket.com/albums/o169/Perry_2007/Cacti/Mamm01spinesa.jpg

https://2img.net/h/i120.photobucket.com/albums/o169/Perry_2007/Cacti/Mamm01spinesb.jpg

Having done some research, I suspect this may be Mammallaria marcosii.

I would really appreciate others opnions, if only to tell me I am wrong!

Thanks.

Perry

Hi Perry,

I guess that your plant hasn't yet flowered for you?

I won't discount your suggestion of M. marcosii, but I feel uneasy with that identification, and I really wish I could explain why, but I can't. It is difficult to see the size of the plant, but I would expect M. marcosii to start to offset quite small, and to have pale yellow flowers with quite dark striped outer sepals.

When I first say the plant, I must admit I thought of M. spinosissima or M. rekoi, or M. bella, all of which have variants that can have hooked spines.

Maybe once this dull snowy weather has faded from our memories, you will have flowers and all will become clear!

Sorry, I can't do better on this one.

Hi Perry,

I think your plant is m. nunezii, which is close to Chris's suggestion of m. bella. But my vision of m. bella is of a much whiter appearance, whereas m. nunezii tends to have darker spination, which you plant appears to have.

Definitely not M.marcosii. My M.bella have white spines. My first reaction was towards M. rhodantha but then I noticed the hooked spines. I agree that it is from the spinosissima group.

Amante wrote:

............... I agree that it is from the spinosissima group.

Thank you.

This is probably a typically silly newbie question, but is it likely that I might be able to more accurately identify this specimen when (if) it flowers?

It would facilitate the identification by noting the colour, the size, the position of the flower on the body, such as, whether it is on the top or the side and even the time of flowering.