[4] It is endemic to the Sonoran Desert,[5] where it occurs in Baja California, Sinaloa, and Sonora in Mexico and Arizona in the United States.

[6] The stems are covered in clusters of small, weak spines a few millimeters long.

The roots have tuber-like swellings at their tips that resemble sweet potatoes.

[6] This cactus grows in sandy desert soils on hills and flats.

[6] It is associated with nurse plants, including ironwood (Olneya tesota) and creosote bush (Larrea tridentata).