View source for Coryphantha minima

{{Treatment/ID
|accepted_name=Coryphantha minima
|accepted_authority=Baird
|publications={{Treatment/Publication
|title=Amer. Bot. (Binghamton)
|place=37: 150. 1931
|year=1931
}}
|common_names=Nellie’s pincushion cactus
|basionyms=
|synonyms={{Treatment/ID/Synonym
|name=Coryphantha nellieae
|authority=Croizat
|rank=species
}} {{Treatment/ID/Synonym
|name=Escobaria minima
|authority=(Baird) D. R. Hunt
|rank=species
}} {{Treatment/ID/Synonym
|name=Escobaria nellieae
|authority=(Croizat) Backeberg
|rank=species
}} {{Treatment/ID/Synonym
|name=Mammillaria nellieae
|authority=(Croizat) Croizat
|rank=species
}}
|hierarchy=Cactaceae;Cactaceae subfam. Cactoideae;Coryphantha;Coryphantha minima
|hierarchy_nav=<div class="higher-taxa"><div class="higher-taxon"><small>family</small>[[Cactaceae]]</div><div class="higher-taxon"><small>subfamily</small>[[Cactaceae subfam. Cactoideae]]</div><div class="higher-taxon"><small>genus</small>[[Coryphantha]]</div><div class="higher-taxon"><small>species</small>[[Coryphantha minima]]</div></div>
|volume=Volume 4
|mention_page=page 220, 222, 228
|treatment_page=page 233
}}<!--

--><span class="statement" id="st-undefined" data-properties=""><b>Plants </b>usually unbranched (or branches 2–3; branched profusely in cultivation), smooth. <b>Roots</b> diffuse or short taproots, largest roots basally 19–63 (average 33)% of greater stem diam. <b>Stems</b> deep-seated with only hemispheric apex protruding above ground level, spheric to cylindric, 1–2.7 × 0.6–1.7(–2.5) cm; tubercles 2–5 × 2–4 mm; areolar glands absent; parenchyma not mucilaginous; druses present in the stem and tubercle cortex (large lenticular druses absent); pith 1/5–1/3 of lesser stem diam.; medullary vascular system absent. <b>Spines</b> 15–28 per areole, appressed, lightly pigmented, pale tan to pinkish gray, weathering to gray, tips darker on some of largest spines, dark purplish brown to orange-brown, often partly overlain by an ephemeral whitish layer, peglike, not sharply needlelike, proximally compressed laterally; radial spines 13–24 per areole, 3.5–5 × 0.1–0.5 mm, radial/central distinction obscure; subcentral spines usually 1–4 in adaxial parts of areoles; outer central spines (1–)3(–4) per areole, in bird’s-foot arrangement at adaxial parts of clusters in adults, straight, inner central spines 0 per areole, longest spines 4–6 × 0.3–0.6 mm. <b>Flowers</b> nearly apical, 13–16 × 15–27 mm; outer tepals fringed; inner tepals 15 or 16 per flower, pale rose-pink to magenta, shading gradually to paler pink or white basally, sometimes with a darker midstripes distally but lacking well-defined midstripes, proximally whitish to pale yellow-green, 7–12 × 2.5–4 mm; outer filaments whitish to pale yellow-green; anthers yellow to orange-yellow; stigma lobes 4–8, green, 0.5–1.5 mm. <b>Fruits</b> green (sometimes slightly yellow tinted), spheric, obovoid, or obconic, 1.5–6 × 1.5–4 mm, nearly dry; floral remnant persistent but easily broken off. <b>Seeds</b> black, ± obovoid (to weakly pyriform), strophiole squarish, 0.8–1 mm, glossy, deeply pitted. <b>2n</b> = 22.</span><!--

-->{{Treatment/Body
|phenology=Flowering spring (Mar-)Apr–May(-Jun); fruiting late summer–fall.
|habitat=Grasslands, closely associated with mats of Selaginella arizonica, novaculite ridges
|elevation=1200-1400 m
|distribution=Tex.
|discussion=<p>Of conservation concern.</p><!--
--><p><i>Coryphantha minima</i> is a dwarf cactus known only from the vicinity of Marathon, Texas, where it occurs among <i>Selaginella</i> in crevices of Caballos novaculite ledges. The characteristic spines appear blunt—almost club-shaped—and lie flat against the stem, making it one of the safest coryphanthas to handle. The tiny stems, large flowers, and unusual spines make this plant attractive to cactus fanciers. Its population, however, is extremely restricted.</p><!--
--><p><i>Coryphantha minima</i> is in the Center for Plant Conservation’s National Collection of Endangered Plants.</p>
|tables=
|references=
}}<!--

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-->{{#Taxon:
name=Coryphantha minima
|authority=Baird
|rank=species
|parent rank=genus
|synonyms=Coryphantha nellieae;Escobaria minima;Escobaria nellieae;Mammillaria nellieae
|basionyms=
|family=Cactaceae
|phenology=Flowering spring (Mar-)Apr–May(-Jun); fruiting late summer–fall.
|habitat=Grasslands, closely associated with mats of Selaginella arizonica, novaculite ridges
|elevation=1200-1400 m
|distribution=Tex.
|reference=None
|publication title=Amer. Bot. (Binghamton)
|publication year=1931
|special status=
|source xml=https://jpend@bitbucket.org/aafc-mbb/fna-data-curation.git/src/f50eec43f223ca0e34566be0b046453a0960e173/coarse_grained_fna_xml/V4/V4_426.xml
|subfamily=Cactaceae subfam. Cactoideae
|genus=Coryphantha
|species=Coryphantha minima
}}<!--

-->[[Category:Treatment]][[Category:Coryphantha]]