Solitary cactus with variable spines and purplish pink flowers appearing as a crown around the top edges of the stem. A few inches wide, some growing taller than wide in old age. Red fruit is edible and delicious. Tubercles are pyramid-shaped, with flat sides. Wool and bristles may appear in the axils (these are responsible for the moustache species name) but this too is variable, and many/most plants in cultivation lack them. Central spines tend to point sideways and may become tangled. Widespread in central Mexico (Morelos, Oaxaca, Puebla, Veracruz).

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