Mamillaria vivipara radiosa neo-mexicana Engelm. Syn. Cact.
269 (1856).
Generally lower (3.5 to 10 cm.) and subglobose to ovate or even
sub-cylindrical, branching at base or simple, with more numerous
(12 to 40) radial spines, more numerous (3 to 12) and purplish
centrals, and smaller seeds. (Ill. Cact. Mex. Bound. t. 74. fig.
4, seeds) Type, presumably the Wright, Bigelow, and Schott
specimens from western Texas, New Mexico, and Sonora, all in
Herb. Mo. Bot. Gard.
From southern Utah, central Colorado, and western Kansas,
southward through western Texas, New Mexico and Arizona into
Chihuahua and Sonora.
Specimens examined: Kansas (Carleton 530 of 1891, in Meade
County): Oklahoma (Carleton 233 of 1891): Colorado (Hall and
Harbour of 1862; Brandegee 645 of 1873; Hicks of 1890): Utah
(Siler of 1870): New Mexico (Wislizenus of 1846; Fendler 244,
271, of 1847: Wright 298; Bigelow of 1853; G. R. Vasey of 1881):
Texas (Wright of 1849, 1851, 1852; Bigelow of 1853): Arizona
(Rothrock, with no number or date): Sonora (Schott of 1855):
Chihuahua (Evans of 1891, near Juarez).
It is through this variety that C. radiosus approaches most
nearly to C. viviparus, in the forms with few radials and
centrals, but the specific characters seem to hold. This is the
Mamillaria vivipara of the Syn Fl. Colorado (Porter and Coulter).