Solitary or sometimes dichotomously branching Mammillaria. Stems are light green, 3-4 inches or more in diameter, with crowded tubercles and wooly axils. They have 4-7 (usually 6) central spines, 20-24 (sometimes 0) white radial spines. White or pink flowers, red fruit.

From 8 different states in north-central Mexico. 3 subspecies: Mammillaria (Mammillaria formosa subsp. formosa) has pale pink flowers; Biznaga de Dedos Pequenos (Mammillaria formosa subsp. microthele) has white flowers; Mammillaria (Mammillaria formosa subsp. chionocephala) has white to pale pink flowers and 2-4 (-6) central spines. The highly variable former subspecies pseudocrucigera is now lumped with a different species, Biznaga Siempre Viva (Mammillaria sempervivi) with white to pale yellow flowers, 2-3 central spines, 2-6 radial spines (usually on young tubercles only).

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