The low-growing, clump-forming or occasionally branching cactus, has stems to 12-inches tall and 3-inches diameter and distinct bands of red and white spines, especially around the apex. The rounded stems have 12–17 ribs notably with central spines in a straight row on the areole and comb-like radial spines. The yellow-green flowers grow from spiny pedicels on the upper stem, not the apex, and only open about half way.

FLOWERS: March–June. Unscented, funnel-shaped flowers up to 1-inch (2.5 cm) long and wide have delicate, yellow to greenish petal-like tepals, lance-shaped with pointed to rounded tips; outer tepals with a reddish median stripe, anthers yellow, stigma with 8–10 green lobes. Fruit oval to round, 1/2-inch long (12 mm), green to brownish, somewhat fleshy.

SPINES: Each areole has 0–3 central spines, when present in a vertical row (not clumped together), the longest to 3/4-inch long (2 cm), red or white; 14–23 comb-like radial spines 3/8–1/2-inch long (8–11 mm), that lie flat against the stem, red, white, yellow, brown, or multicolored.

HABITAT: Rocky, sandy soils of semidesert grasslands, short-grass prairies, desert scrub, foothills, pinyon-juniper-oak woodlands.

ELEVATION: 6,000–8,800 feet.

RANGE: CO, KA, NE, NM, OK, SD, TX, WY.

SIMILAR SPECIES: The Echinocereus viridiflorus complex contains a large number of plants with various combinations of flower color and spine characteristics, but the areoles never have white felt and the flowers are less than 1-inch long and wide. Subsp. chloranthus, in the southern half of NM, has yellowish-green flowers, 5+ central spines reaching 1 1/2-inches long (3.8 cm), and bristly-looking stems with reddish bands, especially when young. Subsp. viridiflorus, in the northern half of NM, has strong lemon-scented yellow flowers.

NM COUNTIES: Central and southern NM in mid-elevation habitats: Bernalillo, Chaves, Dona Ana, Eddy, Lincoln, Otero, Sierra, Torrance.