[2] Echinocereus ortegae forms dense clusters up to 30 cm in diameter, composed of numerous dark green, cylindrical stems.

The bright scarlet flowers are tubular to funnel-shaped and slightly zygomorphic.

The egg-shaped fruits are green with white flesh and lose their spines.

[3] There are two recognized subspecies:[2] Echinocereus ortegae is native to the Mexican states of Sonora, Sinaloa, and Durango.

[3] The species was first described by Jesús González Ortega in 1929, with its name honoring the Mexican botanist.