Formerly Tephocactus sphaericus now Cumulopuntia sphaerica naturally a a shrubby cactus. Grey-green, segmented stems armed with reddish / orange spines that turn lighter as they age. The stem segments are spherical or egg-shaped and can grow up to 6 cm long. They have 25 to 80 areoles, with straight or occasionally curved spines that can reach 4 cm in length.
The flowers are yellow to orange, appearing at the tips of the upper stem segments. The flowers can reach 4 cm wide. The fruits are fleshy, nearly spherical, green to yellow, and may have a few spines.
