Mammillaria erythra (Reppenhagen

First description : By Reppenhagen: Die gattung Mammillaria nach dem heutigen stand meines wissens 1987; Herausgeber AfM, 1987: 180 - 182 , 199 und 222.

Body: Solitary, flattened globose, sunken apex, 40 - 90 mm high and 70 - 300 mm in diameter, dull green, in habitat reddish.

Roots: Fibrous.

Sap: With latex.

Tubercule: Pyramidal, firm, four - angled, keeled, 15 - 18 mm long and 12 - 15 mm wide.

Axil: With short white wool and 3 - 10 short, glassy white with reddish brown tip, straight bristles.

Radial spine: 0 - 8, needle like, straight, smooth, whitish to brown, 2 - 6 mm long.

Central spine: 1 - 4, the uppermost the longest, needle like, straight or slightly curving, with thicker base, glassy brown with black tip, to 50 mm long.

Flower: Carmine, funnelform, 18 - 22 mm long and 10 - 12 mm in diameter, not flowering frequently.

Fruit: Dark carmine, club-shaped, 10 - 15 mm long and 3 - 5 mm wide, ripens 5 months after flowering.

Seed: Brown, flattened keeled, 1,2 mm long and 0,8 mm wide. Hilum subbasal.

Habitat Substrate: On lava rocks in a very humus substrate.

Geographic Distribution: Mexico, Vera Cruz near Azumbitla; Puebla near Acultzingo. Altitude 1850 m.

Comments: Darker flowers, characteristic epidermis, solitary growth and the body size are the differences with mystax. Erythra is a connection between m. mystax and m. sartori.