Each shoot bears four to seven light yellow spines, which can be quite variable in shape, sometimes resembling daggers.

The flowers of Lobivia pugionacantha are funnel-shaped and emit a fragrant scent during the day.

They come in shades ranging from yellow to pink or orange-red, measuring up to 4.5 centimeters in both length and diameter.

[2] Accepted subspecies:[3] This species is found in the Bolivian regions of Cochabamba, Chuquisaca, Potosí, Tarija, and possibly La Paz, as well as in the Argentine province of Jujuy at altitudes ranging from 3500 to 4000 meters.

First described as Echinopsis pugionacantha in 1931 by Joseph Nelson Rose and Friedrich Bödeker, the specific name "pugionacantha" is a combination of the Latin word "pugio," meaning 'dagger,' and the Greek word "akantha," meaning 'thorn.'