Coryphantha robustispina was described by (Schott ex Engelm) Britton & Rose and published in The Cactaceae, descriptions and illustrations of plants of the cactus family.

Coryphantha robustispina is found in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas in the United States.

robustispina is on the Federal Endangered Species list, where it is identified using the former nomenclature of Coryphantha scheeri var.

Coryphantha robustispina has a complicated life cycle: 1) It flowers after a monsoon rain, usually in July.

[citation needed] It is an extremely complicated life cycle and if any one of the steps is interrupted, the plant does not reproduce.

[citation needed] While the above is a typical cycle for the species, seeds collected directly from fruits and not subjected to passing through the intestines of a jackrabbit or other animal can have a high germination rate and be successfully grown into mature plants.