Mammillaria marksiana is a perennial, green, fleshy and globose plant, with leaves transformed into thorns.

Flowering period in Europe extends from late winter to early spring.

The fruits are dark-purple, club-shaped, up to 2 inches long and contain small brown seeds.

This species is endemic to western Mexico (states of Durango, Chihuahua, Sonora and Sinaloa).

The natural habitat of Mammillaria marksiana are the arid deserts, this plant mainly grows in the mountain range east of the Sierra Madre, at an altitude of 400–2,000 metres (1,300–6,600 ft) above sea level.