Common Name:

General Information

Mammillaria thornberi is a spiny, evergreen cylindrical cactus, branching prolifically from the base to produce dense clumps. The slender, cylindrical stems are 45 - 100mm tall (exceptionally to 300mm) and 20 - 35mm in diameter. Every branch develops its own, independent root system; its connection to the rest of the clump is ephemeral, resulting in dense clumps of independently rooted stems[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food. It is grown as an ornamental[].
Mammillaria thornberi occurs in more than 10 locations and there are no major threats affecting it that could cause continuing declines in the extent or quality of its habitat. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2017)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Southwestern N. America - southwest Arizona, northwest Mexico (Sonora)

Habitat

Beneath desert shrubs, such as Ambrosia dumosa and Larrea divaricata, occurring primarily in low elevation desert habitats with fine sandy soils; at elevations from 240 - 720 metres[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Habit	Evergreen Perennial
Height	0.10 m

Cultivation Details

Mammillaria thornberi is a plant of arid and semi-arid regions in southwest N. America. It requires a dry climate and plenty of heat in the growing season. The plant is somewhat cold tolerant, in its native habitat it can withstand short periods with temperatures falling as low as -6°c[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw[]. The fruit is juicy only in the fruit walls[]. The fruit is eaten by children as a sweet and by people of all ages as a trail snack[]. The bright red, obovoid to nearly club-shaped fruits are 7 - 15mm long and 4 - 7mm in diameter[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -