[4] This tiny cactus grows at about 30 sites in Texas and Coahuila, many of which are located within Big Bend National Park and the Black Gap Wildlife Management Area.

The central spines are up to 2 centimeters long and are white, gray, or yellow in color with brownish or bluish tips.

[4] Threats to this rare species have included mercury mining, petroleum exploration activities, off-road vehicles, and grazing.

[4][3] The collectors employed professional diggers to go into the habitat and retrieve this and other species of cacti, which were stockpiled, shipped away for sale, and sometimes discarded or wasted.

[4][5] Plants in Big Bend National Park occur on rugged terrain and have generally been safe from collectors.