Structure and identification
Stems are dark green, club-shaped or cylindrical. The monograph describes growth to about 50 cm tall. Tubercles have an angular base, a flattened upper surface and red glands in grooves or axils. There are relatively few spines in relation to tubercle size. Central spines are darker and stronger than lateral ones, with the dominant one pointing forwards. Flowers are broad and yellow. [Dicht and Lüthy 2005, p. 55–58]
Habitat and variation
Sites described in the monograph occur mainly in Hidalgo and Querétaro, less often in San Luis Potosí and Tamaulipas. Plants are associated with limestone gravel and alluvial soil on ridges and at hill bases. The authors document numerous former names for the species and link some conflicting descriptions to the shipment of young, less heavily armed plants to Europe. [Dicht and Lüthy 2005, p. 55–58]
Related articles
Materials from the author's archive
The species also appears in Konrad Szychowski's private material archive. [Kaktologia 2009b, file p. 7] [Neciu b.d., file p. 1]
Synonyms and names in the literature
Cactus aulacothele · Cactus biglandulosus · Cactus clavus · Cactus exsudans · Cactus macrothele · Cactus martianus · Cactus octacanthus · Cactus plaschnickii · Cactus polymorphus · Cactus schlechtendalii · Coryphantha aulacothele · Coryphantha clava · Coryphantha clava var. schlechtendalii · Coryphantha exsudans · Coryphantha lehmannii · Coryphantha macrothele · Coryphantha schlechtendalii · Echinocactus clava · Echinocactus macrothele · Echinocactus macrothele var. biglandulosus · Echinocactus macrothele var. lehmannii · Echinocactus plaschnickii · Echinocactus schlechtendalii · Glandulifera clava · Mammillaria aulacothele · Mammillaria aulacothele var. flavispina · Mammillaria aulacothele var. multispina · Mammillaria aulacothele var. spinosior · Mammillaria aulacothele var. sulcimamma · Mammillaria biglandulosa · Mammillaria brevimamma var. exsudans · Mammillaria clava · Mammillaria curvata · Mammillaria exsudans · Mammillaria leucacantha · Mammillaria macrothele · Mammillaria macrothele var. biglandulosa · Mammillaria martiana · Mammillaria octacantha · Mammillaria plaschnickii · Mammillaria plaschnickii var. straminea · Mammillaria polymorpha · Mammillaria schlechtendalii · Mammillaria schlechtendalii var. laevior · Mammillaria sulcimamma · Mammillaria thelocamptos [2-WWW]