Origin and Habitat: This tiny cactus has its main distribution in Mexico (Coahuila, San Luis Potosí and Zacatecas) but its northernmost extension arrive to the Mountains of Brewster County in Texas.
Habitat: Grows in in open areas or under trees in evergreen woodlands on rocky igneous or limestone slopes at ca. 1500-2200 m.

• Escobaria dasyacantha subs. chaffeyi (Britton & Rose) N.P.Taylor
• Coryphantha chaffeyi (Britton & Rose) Fosberg
• Escobaria chaffeyi Britton & Rose
• Escobaria dasyacantha var. chaffeyi (Britton & Rose) N.P.Taylor
• Mammillaria chaffeyi (Britton & Rose) Backeb.

• Escobaria dasyacantha subs. chaffeyi (Britton & Rose) N.P.Taylor
• Coryphantha chaffeyi (Britton & Rose) Fosberg
• Escobaria chaffeyi Britton & Rose
• Escobaria dasyacantha var. chaffeyi (Britton & Rose) N.P.Taylor
• Mammillaria chaffeyi (Britton & Rose) Backeb.
• Escobaria chaffeyi f. viridiflora (Frič) Říha
• Fobea viridiflora Frič ex Boed.

• Escobaria dasyacantha (Engelm.) Britton & Rose
• Cactus dasyacanthus (Engelm.) Kuntze
• Coryphantha dasyacantha (Engelm.) A.Berger
• Escobesseya dasyacantha (Engelm.) Hester
• Mammillaria dasyacantha Engelm.

Description: Escobaria dasyacantha subs. chaffeyiSN|10129]]SN|10128]], best known as Escobaria chaffeyiSN|10128]]SN|10129]], is a small nipple Cactus forming solitary (or rarely with 2-5 branches) elongated ball densely covered with cream-brownish spines with darker tip.
Stems: It is globular in its youth although it tends towards cylindrical with age, 4.5-15 tall, 3-6 cm wide.
Tubercles: 7-8 × 3-5mm, moderately soft, concealed by the numerous spines.
Radial Spines: 21-31 per areole 6-10 mm long; interlacing cream-brownish, bristly with dark pink, red-brown to nearly black tips 26-42 per areole;
Central spines: Inconspicuous one to 9 per areole, short, spreading, straight, longest spines 12-17 mm.
Subcentral Spines: Several, appressed.
Roots: Diffuse or whit a short taproot.
Flowers: Nearly apical that form a ring round the top of the stem, 15-30 mm, The flower colour is rather variable, pale-pink, brik-red, straw, brownish-purple or rarely light green with a darker pinkish to brown or brownish green midstripes.
Blooming season: March-may.
Fruits: Bright red, clavate, cylindric, or narrowly ellipsoid, 13-35mm long not very succulent; floral remnant strongly persistent.

Bibliography: Major references and further lectures
1) Terry, M., Heil, K., Gómez-Hinostrosa, C. & Corral-Díaz, R. 2013. Escobaria dasyacantha. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.3. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 01 February 2015.
2) David R Hunt; Nigel P Taylor; Graham Charles; International Cactaceae Systematics Group. "The New Cactus Lexicon" dh books, 2006
3) Edward Anderson “The Cactus family” Timber Press, Incorporated, 2001
4) James Cullen, Sabina G. Knees, H. Suzanne Cubey "The European Garden Flora Flowering Plants: A Manual for the Identification of Plants Cultivated in Europe, Both Out-of-Doors and Under Glass" Cambridge University Press, 11/August /2011
5) Ulises Guzmán, Salvador Arias, Patricia Dávila “Catálogo de cactáceas mexicanas.” Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Mexiko-Stadt 2003
6) Urs Eggli, Leonard E. Newton “Etymological Dictionary of Succulent Plant Names” Birkhäuser 2004

Cultivation and Propagation: Easy to cultivate in a very gritty substrate with much drainage (very rot-prone). Water regularly in summer, but do not overwater (very rot prone), it prefer a completely dry place during winter . An unheated greenhouse would be perfect. it is hardier than one would suppose - winter hardiness estimates I've read range from -13C to -17C. Full sun to light shade.
Propagation: Seeds (no dormancy requirement, they germinate best at 25°C in spring ) or usually by offsets (readily available), or occasionally grafted.