There are a number of species of the low-growing, usually dome-shaped
mammillarias, the solitary kinds often so small as to be overlooked
except when blooming, in late spring or early summer. Some are known as
“fishhook cactuses” because of their long, slender, hooked spines,
others as “pin-cushion cactuses” because of the shape of the plants. The
large, colorful blossoms which encircle the stems mature usually to red,
in some species green, nipple-shaped fruits. Members of this genus are
widespread in grasslands or rocky mesas and slopes throughout the
Southwest.
_Mammillaria microcarpa_ Cactus Family
[Illustration: FISHHOOK CACTUS]