Origin and Habitat: Southern Bolivia, northern Argentina.

• Parodia microsperma subs. aureispina (Backeb.) Brickwood
• Parodia aureispina Backeb.

• Parodia microsperma (F.A.C.Weber) Speg.
• Echinocactus microspermus F.A.C.Weber in Bois
• Hickenia microsperma (F.A.C.Weber) Britton & Rose
• Parodia aconquijaensis Weskamp
• Parodia amblayensis F.H.Brandt
• Parodia tuberculosi-costata var. amblayana F.H.Brandt
• Parodia atroviridis Backeb.
• Parodia capillataensis F.H.Brandt
• Parodia dextrohamata Backeb.
• Parodia dextrohamata var. stenopetala Backeb.
• Parodia elegans Fechser ex Backeb.
• Parodia fechseri Backeb.
• Parodia fuscato-viridis Backeb.
• Parodia glischrocarpa F.Ritter
• Parodia grandiflora M.Veverka
• Parodia heyeriana Weskamp
• Parodia kilianana Backeb.
• Parodia malyana var. rubriflora F.H.Brandt
• Parodia malyana var. igneiflora F.H.Brandt
• Parodia matthesiana Heinrich
• Parodia mercedesiana Weskamp
• Parodia microsperma subs. albofuscata (F.H.Brandt) Brickwood
• Parodia albofuscata F.H.Brandt
• Parodia microsperma var. argerichiana (Weskamp) Brickwood
• Parodia argerichiana Weskamp
• Parodia microsperma var. aurantiaca F.H.Brandt
• Parodia microsperma subs. aureispina (Backeb.) Brickwood
• Parodia aureispina Backeb.
• Parodia microsperma var. belenensis (Weskamp) Brickwood
• Parodia belenensis Weskamp
• Parodia microsperma var. betaniana (F.Ritter) Brickwood
• Parodia betaniana F.Ritter
• Parodia setifera f. betaniana (F.Ritter) Käsinger
• Parodia microsperma var. cabracorralensis (Käsinger) Brickwood
• Parodia cabracorralensis Piens
• Parodia setifera var. cabracorralensis Käsinger
• Parodia microsperma var. cachiana (Weskamp) Brickwood
• Parodia cachiana Weskamp
• Parodia horrida var. cachiana (Weskamp) Käsinger
• Parodia microsperma var. cafayatensis Backeb.
• Parodia microsperma var. campestris (F.H.Brandt) Brickwood
• Parodia campestris F.H.Brandt
• Parodia microsperma subs. catamarcensis (Backeb.) Brickwood
• Parodia catamarcensis Backeb.
• Parodia microsperma var. cebilarensis (Weskamp) Brickwood
• Parodia cebilarensis Weskamp
• Parodia microsperma var. dichroacantha (F.H.Brandt & Weskamp) Brickwood
• Parodia dichroacantha F.H.Brandt & Weskamp
• Parodia horrida var. dichroacantha (F.H.Brandt & Weskamp) Käsinger
• Parodia kilianana var. dichroacantha (F.H.Brandt & Weskamp) F.H.Brandt
• Parodia microsperma var. dichroacantha f. cristata hort.
• Parodia dichroacantha f. cristata hort.
• Parodia microsperma var. erythrantha (Speg.) Weskamp
• Echinocactus microspermus var. erythranthus Speg.
• Parodia erythrantha (Speg.) Backeb. & F.M.Knuth
• Parodia microsperma var. glischrocarpa (F.Ritter) Brickwood
• Parodia microsperma var. guachipasana (Weskamp) Brickwood
• Parodia guachipasana Weskamp
• Parodia microsperma var. herzogii (Rausch) Brickwood
• Parodia herzogii Rausch
• Parodia microsperma var. heteracantha (F.Ritter ex Weskamp) Brickwood
• Parodia heteracantha F.Ritter ex Weskamp
• Parodia horrida var. heteracantha (F.Ritter ex Weskamp) Käsinger
• Parodia microsperma subs. hummeliana (A.B.Lau & Weskamp) Brickwood
• Parodia hummeliana A.B.Lau & Weskamp
• Parodia microsperma var. juanensis (Weskamp) Brickwood
• Parodia mesembrina var. juanensis Weskamp
• Parodia microsperma var. jujuyensis (Käsinger) Brickwood
• Parodia setifera var. jujuyensis Käsinger
• Parodia microsperma var. lembckei (Weskamp) Brickwood
• Parodia lembckei Weskamp
• Parodia microsperma var. lohaniana (A.B.Lau & Weskamp) Brickwood
• Parodia horrida f. lohaniana (A.B.Lau & Weskamp) Käsinger
• Parodia lohaniana A.B.Lau & Weskamp
• Parodia microsperma var. macrancistra (K.Schum.) Brickwood
• Echinocactus microspermus var. macrancistrus K.Schum.
• Parodia macrancistra (K.Schum.) Weskamp
• Parodia microsperma var. malyana (Rausch) Brickwood
• Parodia malyana Rausch
• Parodia microsperma subs. mesembrina (F.H.Brandt) Brickwood
• Parodia mesembrina F.H.Brandt
• Parodia microsperma var. microthele (Backeb.) Krainz
• Parodia microthele Backeb. in Backeb. & F.M.Knuth
• Parodia microsperma var. minuscula (Rausch) Brickwood
• Parodia minima F.H.Brandt
• Parodia minuscula Rausch
• Parodia microsperma var. mutabilis (Backeb.) Brickwood
• Parodia mutabilis Backeb.
• Parodia microsperma var. nana (Weskamp) Brickwood
• Parodia nana Weskamp
• Parodia microsperma var. opulenta F.H.Brandt
• Parodia microsperma var. pluricentralis (Backeb. ex F.H.Brandt) Brickwood
• Parodia horrida var. pluricentralis Käsinger
• Parodia pluricentralis Backeb. ex F.H.Brandt
• Parodia microsperma var. rigidissima Frič & F.H.Brandt
• Parodia microsperma var. riojensis (F.Ritter & Weskamp) Brickwood
• Parodia catamarcensis var. riojensis (F.Ritter & Weskamp) J.G.Lamb.
• Parodia riojensis F.Ritter & Weskamp in Weskamp
• Parodia microsperma var. rubriflora (Backeb.) Weskamp
• Parodia aureispina var. rubriantha F.H.Brandt
• Parodia aureispina var. rubriflora (Backeb.) F.H.Brandt
• Parodia rubriflora Backeb.
• Parodia microsperma var. rubristaminea (F.Ritter) Brickwood
• Parodia rubristaminea F.Ritter
• Parodia microsperma var. sanagasta (Weing.) Brickwood
• Parodia sanagasta Weing.
• Parodia microsperma subs. sanguiniflora (Backeb.) Brickwood
• Parodia mutabilis var. sanguiniflora (Backeb.) F.H.Brandt
• Parodia sanguiniflora Backeb.
• Parodia microsperma subs. sanguiniflora f. brevispina (monstruosa) hort.
• Parodia sanguiniflora f. brevispina monstruosa hort.
• Parodia microsperma f. scopaoides
• Parodia mutabilis var. scopaoides (Backeb.) F.H.Brandt
• Parodia scopaoides Backeb. in Backeb. & F.M.Knuth
• Parodia microsperma var. setifera (Backeb.) Brickwood
• Parodia setifera Backeb.
• Parodia microsperma var. spanisa (F.H.Brandt) Brickwood
• Parodia microsperma var. spegazziniana (F.H.Brandt) Brickwood
• Parodia spegazziniana F.H.Brandt
• Parodia microsperma var. thionantha (Speg.) Y.Itô
• Echinocactus microspermus var. thionanthus Speg.
• Parodia erythrantha var. thionantha (Speg.) Backeb.
• Parodia microsperma var. wagneriana (Weskamp) Brickwood
• Parodia wagneriana Weskamp
• Parodia microsperma var. weberiana (F.H.Brandt) J.G.Lamb.
• Parodia weberiana F.H.Brandt
• Parodia papagayana F.H.Brandt
• Parodia piltziorum Weskamp
• Parodia pluricentralis var. erythroflora F.H.Brandt
• Parodia pluricentralis var. xanthoflora F.H.Brandt
• Parodia rigida Backeb.
• Parodia rigidispina Krainz
• Parodia rubellihamata Backeb.
• Parodia rubellihamata var. aureiflora Backeb.
• Parodia sanagasta var. saltensis F.H.Brandt
• Parodia sanagasta var. viridior Backeb.
• Parodia setifera f. chlorocarpa (F.Ritter) Käsinger
• Parodia chlorocarpa F.Ritter
• Parodia spanisa F.H.Brandt
• Parodia spegazziniana var. aurea F.H.Brandt
• Parodia superba F.H.Brandt
• Parodia tafiensis Backeb.
• Parodia talaensis F.H.Brandt
• Parodia tolombona Weskamp
• Parodia tuberculosi-costata Backeb.
• Parodia tucumanensis Weskamp
• Parodia uebelmanniana F.Ritter
• Parodia weberioides F.H.Brandt
• Parodia weskampiana Krasucka & Spanowsky

• Parodia microsperma subs. horrida (F.H.Brandt) R.Kiesling & O.Ferrari
• Parodia horrida F.H.Brandt

Description: Parodia aureispinaSN|5784]]SN|11728]] is only a variant of the extremely variable Parodia microsperma. Characteristic of this frequently offered cactus are its strong, yellow spination and its yellow flowers.
Similar varieties: It is very similar (if not the same) with Parodia mutabilisSN|11730]]SN|11730]] and Parodia aurihamata, and the three plants are not readily distinguishable, if not for the geographical provenance.
Habit: Compact small to medium-sized cacti densely covered in dense white and yellow spines. Usually solitary, but can forms small clusters.
Stem: Globose or cylindrical, light green or bluish-green up to 6-7(-9) cm in diameter and 10 cm tall (or more)
Ribs: 13-21 spiraling with conical tubercles 4-5 mm in diameter 3 mm long.
Areoles: 1,5 mm in diameter with white-yellowish tomentum that fade away as they age.
Radial spines: 11-13 thin,bristly, white, up to 7 mm long.
Central spines: 4, Short, hooked of which the upper three are honey-yellow to reddish-brown with a reddish tip, while the lower one is more long and strong.
Flowers: Bright yellow, infundibuliform on the plant apex 2,5 mm long, 40 mm in diameter. External tepals spatulate or lanceolate, denticulate yellowish-orange.The throat is yellow, the filaments bear cream-yellowish anthers. Stile white-yellowish bearing a 12 lobed stigma.
Blooming season: Produces several flowers simultaneously in early summer (while at Parodia maassiiSN|11728]]SN|5784]] they usually appear one by one), the flowers remain open for about three days.
Fruit: Ovoidal 6x5 mm, with basal dehiscence.
Seeds: Very small 0,4mm long, brown smooth and shining.

Bibliography: Major references and further lectures
1) Gerhard Gröner, Erich Götz “Beautiful Cacti: A Basic Grower's Guide” Sterling, 1992
2) Backeberg C., "Das Kakteenlexikon" 1966
1) Krainz, Hans et al. “Die Kakteen” 1956-1975
2) Hans Hecht “BLV-Handbuch der Kakteen” BLV-Verlagsgesellschaft, 1982
3) 4) E Haustein “Der Kosmos Kakteenfuehrer (the Kosmos Cactus Guide)” Balogh Scientific Books, United States, 01/Dec/1998
5) Kessler H., "Die FR-Parodien" Stachelpost, 7 : 223-224, 247, 1970
6) Ritter F., "Kakteen in Südamerika", 1980
7) Weskamp W., "Die Gattung Parodia" 1987
8) Kiesling, R. & Ortega-Baes, P. 2013. Parodia microsperma. In: IUCN 2013. "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species". Version 2013.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 04 March 2014.
9) Edward Anderson “The Cactus family” Timber Press, Incorporated, 2001
10) 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/Aug/2011
11) David R Hunt; Nigel P Taylor; Graham Charles; International Cactaceae Systematics Group. "The New Cactus Lexicon" dh books, 2006
12) Urs Eggli, Leonard E. Newton “Etymological Dictionary of Succulent Plant Names” Springer, Berlin/Heidelberg 2010
13) Willy Cullmann, Erich Götz (Dozent Dr.), Gerhard Gröner “The encyclopedia of cacti” Portland, OR: Timber Press, 1986

Cultivation and Propagation: It is relatively easy to grow on its own roots.
Soil: Grow it in an open sandy-gritty cactus compost.
Pots: It needs a relatively shallow pot to accommodate its fibrous roots and provide a very good drainage. It may stay in the same pot for many years.
Watering: Needs regular water in summer. Keep rather dry in winter, tends to lose its roots in winter.
Hardiness: Can tolerate light frost (-1C°)
Propagation: By Seeds. The seed of this plant are extremely small and must be sown on the surface of the germination substrate (not buried!!) But the seedlings after germination are so minuscule and delicate that it is quite problematic to keep them alive. So for this species it is usually used the baggy germination technique (in a sterilized pot hermetically closed in a plastic sachet)