As its specific epithet suggests, the plant is found in Mexico (Nuevo León), where it grows on gypsum hills near Galeana.

The ribs have large wooly areoles with 3 curved spines about 3 to 15 mm long, yellowish in color.

Fruits are ovoid 9 x 4-5 mm[3] The plants grow exclusively in Mexico in the state of Nuevo León on gypsum hills at 1200 to 1350 meters.

The plants were discovered by George S. Hinton in 1991 and the genus and species were first described in 1992 by Charlie Glass and Walter A. Fitz-Maurice.

A nomenclature synonym was created through an unaccepted recombination in 2000 to Echinocactus mexicanus (Glass & W.A.Fitz Maurice) Halda.