[1] The epithet ottonis honors the German botanist Christoph Friedrich Otto.

The light to dark green or blue-green spherical shoots are often tapered towards the base.

[2] The usually yellow flowers, rarely orange-red or red, reach lengths of 5 to 6 centimeters and would appear in late summer.

The fruits contain, often very numerous, bell-shaped, glossy black seeds, which are strongly humped.

[4] The first description as Cactus ottonis by Johann Georg Christian Lehmann was published in 1827.