From the Vizcaino Peninsula of Baja California Sur, Mexico, this species has a confused taxonomy that ranges from F. gracilis ssp. coloratus to F. chrysacanthus ssp. grandiflorus. A typically solitary species, it has reddish spines that are dense on the globose body. The flowers are reddish and crowded in among those spines. These plants are seedlings in 2-gallon pots.