The areoles, which are small, cushion-like structures on the cactus from which spines or flowers grow, have a diameter of 4 to 5 millimeters and may contain extra floral nectaries.

Its greenish-purple fruits, which are dry when ripe, crack open with a basal pore.

[2] This species is native to the Mexican states of Hidalgo and Querétaro, where it can be found at altitudes of 1800 to 2000 meters.

[4] The specific epithet "hastifer" is derived from the Latin words "hasta" for 'spear' and "-fer" for '-bearing', referring to the spear-like appearance of its spines.

In 1936, Frederik Marcus Knuth transferred the species to the genus Thelocactus.