[2] Ferocactus cylindraceus is usually cylindrical or spherical, usually found in clusters with some older specimens forming columns grow up to 50 cm (20 in) in diameter and 3 metres (9.8 ft) in height.

The stem has 18 to 27 distinct ribs and is covered in long, plentiful spines, which are straight and red when new and become curved and gray as they age.

Accepted Subspecies:[4] This cactus is native to the eastern Mojave Desert and western Sonoran Desert Ecoregions in: Southern California, Nevada, Arizona, and Utah in the Southwestern United States; and Baja California, and Sonora state in Northwestern Mexico.

[8][9] It is found in gravelly, rocky, or sandy soils, in Creosote Bush Scrub and Joshua Tree Woodland habitats, from 60–1,500 metres (200–4,920 ft) in elevation.

The name "cylindraceus" is derived from Latin, meaning "cylindrical," which describes the shape of the plant's shoots.