It is a solitary spherical or oblate cactus only a few inches in height with long, yellow spines.

It is found surrounding the towns of Santana do Livramento, Brazil and Rivera, Uruguay.

The areoles, which are sunken under the tubercles, are initially woolly, though they lose the wool as they mature.

The cactus produces yellow flowers up to 8 centimetres (3.1 in) in diameter with pericarpels covered in bristles and brown wool.

It is found around Santana do Livramento, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil and the neighboring Rivera, Uruguay.