Origin and Habitat: Garden origin (Nursery produced cultivar)

• Thelocactus setispinus cv. brevispinus hort.
• Hamatocactus setispinus f. brevispinus hort.

• Thelocactus setispinus (Engelm.) E.F.Anderson
• Echinocactus setispinus Engelm.
• Ferocactus setispinus (Engelm.) L.D.Benson
• Hamatocactus setispinus (Engelm.) Britton & Rose
• Thelocactus setispinus var. cachetianus (Labour.) Pilbeam
• Echinocactus setispinus var. cachetianus Labour.
• Echinocactus setispinus f. cachetianus (Labour.) Schelle
• Hamatocactus setispinus var. cachetianus Labour.
• Hamatocactus setispinus f. cachetianus (Labour.) Krainz in Krainz
• Thelocactus setispinus f. cristatus hort.
• Hamatocactus setispinus f. cristatum hort.
• Thelocactus setispinus f. flavibaccatus (G.Unger)
• Hamatocactus setispinus f. flavibaccatus G.Unger
• Thelocactus setispinus var. hamatus (Muehlenpf.) Pilbeam
• Echinocactus hamatus Muehlenpf.
• Hamatocactus setispinus var. hamatus (Muehlenpf.) Borg
• Hamatocactus setispinus f. hamatus (Muehlenpf.) Schelle
• Thelocactus setispinus var. mierensis (K.Schum.) Pilbeam
• Echinocactus setispinus var. mierensis K.Schum.
• Hamatocactus setispinus var. mierensis (K.Schum.) Borg
• Hamatocactus setispinus f. mierensis (K.Schum.) Schelle
• Thelocactus setispinus var. muehlenpfordtii (J.M.Coult.) Pilbeam
• Echinocactus muehlenpfordtii Fennel in Otto & A.Dietr.
• Echinocactus setispinus var. muehlenpfordtii (Fennel) J.M.Coult.
• Thelocactus setispinus var. orcuttii (K.Schum.) Pilbeam
• Echinocactus setispinus var. orcuttii K.Schum.
• Echinocactus setispinus f. orcuttii (K.Schum.) Schelle
• Hamatocactus setispinus var. orcuttii (K.Schum.) Borg
• Hamatocactus setispinus f. orcuttii (K.Schum.) Krainz in Krainz
• Thelocactus setispinus var. robustus (Poselg.)
• Thelocactus setispinus var. robustus Poselg.
• Thelocactus setispinus var. setaceus (Engelm.)
• Echinocactus setispinus var. setaceus Engelm.
• Hamatocactus setispinus var. setaceus (Engelm.) W.T.Marshall

• Thelocactus setispinus cv. brevispinus hort.
• Hamatocactus setispinus f. brevispinus hort.

Description: Solitary or slowly offsetting, globular.
Phenology: Summer grower (Dormant in winter).
Stem: Up to 15 cm tall, 10 cm in diameter; around 13 high wavy ribs, dark bluish green. The cultivated variety "brevispinus" differs only for its shorter spines, while all the other trait are identical to standard species.
Areoles: 10-14 mm long, with short wool.
Spines: Yellowish, central 1 to 3 hooked (5-15 mm long); radials 12 to 16 (5-15 mm long)
Flower: Silky yellow with darker red throat , 3-4,2 cm across, 3,8-5,2(7) cm long.
Fruits: Red and fleshy, globular to ovate, 8-11 mm long, that dry and fracture basally at full maturity.
Seeds: 1,3-1,7 mm long and 0,5 -0,8 mm diameter.
Blooming season: Summer, it flowers very well, even when quite young, producing flowers in succession.
Remarks: In the past several forms with different spine and stem size, flowers and fruit colour have been described and some authors gave them a variety name, however they grows at the same locality and under the same condition, so nowadays all them are considered part of a polymorphic species.

Cultivation and Propagation: This species is easy and well worth growing. Require little care once they have reached a nice flowering size. H. setispinus is suited for any rich, well drained soil in full sun throughout the year (But do better with some light shade in summer).
Pot culture: grow best in a well-drained container filled with a porous cactus soil mixture that doesn't contain too much humus. To insure robust plants water and fertilize during the aestival growth cycle, this plant need plenty of water (indicatively to about once a week) But needs to be avoided wetting the bodies of these plants while they are in sunlight. A wet cactus in the sun light can cause sun burning which can lead to scars or even fungal infections and death. Care must be taken to prevent sooty mould forming on the sugary secretions from near the areoles.
Frost Tolerance: In winter keep completely dry at 5°C this usually aids in maintaining a healthier plant, but it is hardy as less as -12 to -7°C depending on the origin. (Temperature Zone: USDA 9-11)
Propagation: Seeds or cutting. Seeds are the typical way of reproducing. These cacti will easily grow from seeds and some from cuttings. Seeds can be sown in the spring or summer in well-drained pots of soil for cacti and sow the seeds thinly on top. Cover them with a bit of fine quartz grit. Moisten and lay a piece of glass across the top. The pots should be set in a warm greenhouse until they start to sprout after which the glass should be progressively removed so they can receive full light and air. It isn't good to keep the glass over the seedlings. The seedlings well developed can be planted separately in small pots.
Cuttings made from pieces of the stem of any size can be detached and laid aside for a few days to allow a protective "skin" to form over the cut. They can then be planted in pots. Place them in a spot where they'll receive sun and do not water until the soil becomes fairly dry. After a while the soil can be moistened regularly but never kept constantly saturated.