Cumarinia odorata is a very small plant from Mexico that deserves to be more widely grown.
 

Cumarinia is a monotypic genus.
Cumarinia odorata was described as Coryphantha odorata by Bödeker in 1930, transferred into the genus Neobessaya by Werdermann and thence to the new genus Cumarinia by Knuth which, in turn, was reduced to a sub-genus of Neolloydia by Backeberg in 1942.
The name Cumarinia has persisted, probably because it is far from being a typical Neolloydia species. Additionally it does not fit into the Neolloydia mould on account of its hooked central spines, it has olso many differences from the Coryphantha so, it is a good genus according to The New Cactus Lexicon (2006) nowadays.

Description: It is a small clustering cactus which clusters at an early age.
Stem: Globose or elonged up to 4 cm tall, up to 3 cm in diameter.
Tubercles: Cylindrical, soft 1 cm long with hairy axils. There is a shallow groove on the upper part.
Central spines: 3 or 4 all hooked black, dark-reddish to yellow, up to 2.5 cm long,
Radial spines: 7 to 9 short white, or yellow, with brownish tips
Flowers: Diurnal, small 1.2 cm in diameter, 1.5 cm long, yellowish pink. in appreciable numbers at an early age.

 

Cultivation: In culture C. odorata is without problems and regularly shows its flowers. Water sparingly, it is sensitive to overwatering (rot prone) needs good drainage, Keep drier in winter. Flowers quite early. Need full sun; hardy to -5° C or less for short periods of time. Keep drier in winter.

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Scientific name:  Cumarinia odorata (Boed.) Buxbaum 1951

Origin:  Mexico (Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosi)

Conservation status: Listed in CITES appendix 2.

• Coryphantha odorata Boedeker 1930
• Neolloydia odorata (Bödeker Backeberg 1942
• Cumarinia odorata (Boed.) Buxb. 1951
• Neobesseia odorata