Origin and Habitat: Northern Mexico (Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo Leon, and Tamaulipas, Mexico).
Type locality: Near Monterey, Mexico.
Altitude: It grows at elevations of 350 to1,800 metres above sea level.
Habitat and Ecology: The species has been seen growing on steep cliffs walls and in large flat areas in shrublands together with Mammillaria plumosaSN|9015]]SN|9350]], Mammillaria salfordii, Mammillaria carretii, Mammillaria candidaSN|9350]]SN|9015]] v. estanzuelensis, Thelocactus nidulansSN|3420]]SN|10906]], Thelocactus bicolorSN|10906]]SN|3420]], Gymnocactus beguiniiSN|1913]]SN|1913]], Ferocactus hamatacanthusSN|3403]]SN|3403]], Lophophora williamsiiSN|1117]]SN|1117]], Echinocereus stramineusSN|7817]]SN|7817]], Astrophytum capricorneSN|3564]]SN|3564]], Opuntia imbricataSN|15506]]SN|8157]], Opuntia microdasysSN|8157]]SN|15506]] and Yucca thompsonianaSN|27876]]SN|27876]]. Illegal collection and overgrazing of the habitat by goats may be a threat to this species.

• Mammillaria melanocentra Poselg.
• Neomammillaria melanocentra (Poselg.) Britton & Rose

• Mammillaria melanocentra Poselg.
• Neomammillaria melanocentra (Poselg.) Britton & Rose
• Mammillaria erinacea H.Wendl.
• Mammillaria melanocentra var. runyonii (Britton & Rose) R.T.Craig
• Mammillaria runyonii (Britton & Rose) Boed.
• Neomammillaria runyonii Britton & Rose
• Mammillaria melanocentra var. typica R.T.Craig
• Mammillaria valida F.A.C.Weber

• Mammillaria melanocentra subs. linaresensis (R.Wolf & F.Wolf) D.R.Hunt
• Mammillaria linaresensis R.Wolf & F.Wolf

• Mammillaria melanocentra subs. rubrograndis (Repp. & A.B.Lau) D.R.Hunt
• Mammillaria rubrograndis Repp. & A.B.Lau

Description: Mammillaria melanocentraSN|10031]]SN|10031]] is a short, stocky and glaucous perennial cactus species with large tubercles. Each head is surrounded by a complete ring of star-like dark pink flowers.
Habit: Plants usually solitary.
Stem: Depressed-spherical, to short-cylindric and rather flattened at the top, up to to 16 cm high and 10-12(-15) cm in diameter, glaucous-green.
Tubercles: in 8 and 13 spirals, firm, large, pyramidal, strongly four-angled, keeled up to about 1.4 x 1.4 cm, their axils with much white wool at first, without bristles. With latex.
Radial spines: (4-)6-9(-13), stout-subulate, (6-)15 to 20(-22) cm long, white, brownish or black, unequal, the lowermost longest.
Central spines: Usually solitary, occasionally up to 3, stout, awl shaped, usually ascending, black when young, later light grey, 2 to 3 cm long, greatly overtopping the stem black, becoming brownish grey later.
Flowers: Whitish to bright pinkish red or carmine with darker midline, approx. 2 x 2 cm long and in diameter, the segments linear, acute.
Blooming season: Flowers are produced in spring over a several weeks period.
Fruits: Pink or red, club-shaped, pink to scarlet, to 30 mm long.
Seeds: Brown.

Bibliography: Major references and further lectures
1) Fitz Maurice, B, Fitz Maurice, W.A., Hernández, H.M., Sotomayor, M. & Smith, M. 2013. Mammillaria melanocentra. In: IUCN 2013. “IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.” Version 2013.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 11 February 2014.
2) David Hunt, Nigel Taylor “The New Cactus Lexicon” DH Books, 2006
3) John Pilbeam (1999) “Mammillaria The Cactus File Handbook” Nuffield Press.
4) Nathaniel Lord Britton, Joseph Nelson Rose “Cactaceae: Descriptions and Illustrations of Plants of the Cactus Family” vol. 4 The Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington 1923
5) Edward F. Anderson “The Cactus Family” Timber Press, 2001
6) James Cullen, Sabina G. Knees, H. Suzanne Cubey “The European Garden Flora Flowering Plants: A Manual for the Identification of Plants Cultivated in Europe, Both Out-of-Doors and Under Glass”Cambridge University Press, 11/ago/2011
7) John Pilbeam (1999) “Mammillaria The Cactus File Handbook” Nuffield Press.
8) Bill Sheat, Gerald Schofield “Complete Gardening in Southern Africa” Struik, 1995
9) John Borg “Cacti: a gardener's handbook for their identification and cultivation” Blandford P., 1970

Cultivation and Propagation: Mammillaria melanocentraSN|10031]]SN|10031]] is a free-flowering and relatively easy plant to grow.
Exposition: Full sun to light shade.
Watering: Water regularly in summer but do not over-water. Keep dry in winter. Hardy down to -4°C.
Growing tips: It is better that they be repotted regularly. Repotting will increase the number and size of stems, and will increase the number of flowers produced. Repot yearly until it reaches about 3 cm in size, then every two or three years will suffice. Repotting is best done at the end of winter, but it can be done at other time, too. Do not water for a couple of weeks after repotting, in order to reduce risk of root rot via broken roots.
Propagation: Seeds or offsets if available.