Origin and Habitat: Mexico in the states of Coahuila, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, and Tamaulipas (extent of occurrence is 30 km²)
Habitat: It grows at a higher altitude than true Chihuahuan Desert in grasslands with virtually no woody vegetation and in pinyon-juniper woodlands. All the sites have gravelly calcareous soils. It also occurs in montane matorral.
This species occurs at about ten locations and is not severely fragmented. Illegal collecting is the main threat however the rate of illegal collection is likely to be lower than the natural recruitment rate.

• Turbinicarpus pseudopectinatus (Backeb.) Glass & R.A.Foster
• Mammillaria pseudopectinata (Backeb.) H.P.Kelsey & Dayton
• Neolloydia pseudopectinata (Backeb.) E.F.Anderson
• Normanbokea pseudopectinata (Backeb.) Kladiwa & Buxb. in Krainz
• Pediocactus pseudopectinatus (Backeb.) Halda
• Pelecyphora pseudopectinata Backeb.

• Turbinicarpus pseudopectinatus (Backeb.) Glass & R.A.Foster
• Mammillaria pseudopectinata (Backeb.) H.P.Kelsey & Dayton
• Neolloydia pseudopectinata (Backeb.) E.F.Anderson
• Normanbokea pseudopectinata (Backeb.) Kladiwa & Buxb. in Krainz
• Pediocactus pseudopectinatus (Backeb.) Halda
• Pelecyphora pseudopectinata Backeb.
• Turbinicarpus pseudopectinatus f. aurata hort.
• Turbinicarpus pseudopectinatus f. cristatus hort.
• Turbinicarpus pseudopectinatus f. inermis cristatus hort.
• Turbinicarpus pseudopectinatus f. inermis hort.
• Turbinicarpus pseudopectinatus subs. jarmilae Halda & Chvastek, Chvastek
• Pelecyphora pulcherrima Sabatini
• Turbinicarpus pseudopectinatus var. jarmilae (Halda & Chvastek) M.Zachar
• Turbinicarpus pseudopectinatus f. rubriflorus (A.T.Powell) hort.
• Neolloydia pseudopectinata var. rubriflora A.T.Powell
• Turbinicarpus pseudopectinatus f. variegatus hort.

Description: Turbinicarpus pseudopectinatusSN|1523]]SN|1523]] is (usually) a solitary small geophytic cactus with many small spirally-arranged tubercles tipped with numerous tiny white spines in a comb like formation. The whitish colouring of the the pant is due to spines rather than wool.
Stem: Globular dull green, 3 cm tall, 4 cm in diameter, barely showing above the ground; apex with short white hair; spirally-arranged tubercles.
Spines: Numerous white in a comb like formation (pectinated), 1.2 mm long.
Root: Tuberose and usually bigger than the stem itself.
Flowers: One to 5 pinkish white to bright pink with darker magenta or reddish-brown mid-veins.
Blooming season: Blossoms are expected early in spring. Flowers can be expected on T. pseudopectinatus seedlings after perhaps two or three years if they are grown well in plant that are only 1.5 cm in diameter, while the flower is 4cm long.
Fruit: Small tannish-green.

Notes: Over the years, T. pseudopectinatus has been placed in six different genera, a process that will probably continue in the future.

Bibliography: Major references and further lectures
1) Edward Anderson “The Cactus family” Timber Press, Incorporated, 2001
2) Nathaniel Lord Britton, Joseph Nelson Rose “Cactaceae: Descriptions and Illustrations of Plants of the Cactus Family” vol. 4 The Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington 1923
3) 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
4) David R Hunt; Nigel P Taylor; Graham Charles; International Cactaceae Systematics Group. "The New Cactus Lexicon" dh books, 2006
5) Milan Zachar, Roman Staník, Alexander Lux, Igor Dráb "Rod Turbinicarpus (Gattung Turbinicarpus)" Vydavateľstvo Roman Staník, 1996
6) Davide Donati, Carlo Zanovello "Knowing Understanding and Growing Turbinicarpus-Rapicactus. A trip across the mexican states of Coahuila, Guanajuato, Hidalgo, Nuevo Leon, Queretaro..." Cactus Trentino Südtirol, 2005
7) Fitz Maurice, B, Fitz Maurice, W.A., Sotomayor, M. & Smith, M. 2013. Turbinicarpus pseudopectinatus. In: IUCN 2013. "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species." Version 2013.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 25 February 2014.

Cultivation and Propagation: It’s a fairly easy species to cultivate, but very slow growing. It needs a very well-drained soil, and requires strong sun to part sun where it obtains a flat natural look. Waterings should be rather infrequent to keep the plant compact, and avoid its becoming excessively elongated and unnatural in appearance. Furthermore it has a tap root, and watering it properly is often difficult, because it tends to crack open or rot if over-watered. Keep dry in winter, or when night temperatures remain below 10° C. It is hardy to -4°C for a short period. Assure a good ventilation.
Reproduction: From seed, since the plant rarely produces plantlets, or grafted.