The areoles, when present, vary in appearance from grooves on the upper surface to round pads near the tips.

The name comes from the ancient Greek "aria" (an oak type) and "carpos" (=fruit) because of the resemblance of the fruit of the two genus in acorn form.

[2] In 1925, Alwin Berger separated off some species of Ariocarpus into the genus Roseocactus, on the basis of the shape of the areoles.

[3] As of July 2018[update], Plants of the World Online accepted the following species and natural hybrids:[1] With one exception, the genus is native to the central parts of Mexico, the northeast and the southwest.

[1] Ariocarpus fissuratus has a native range that extends from Mexico into south and southwest Texas in the United States,[7] being found in the Chihuahuan Desert on both sides of the border.

Large underground roots make up much of the plant; the stem grows close to the soil (or even below it) and has a thick upper surface (epidermis).

Plants require water only during periods of summer growth and should be kept perfectly dry overwinter, with a minimum temperature of 12 °C, although certain species can cope with considerably cooler conditions.