Barrel cactus from coastal NW Baja California (south to Bahia San Quintin) and San Diego County with greenish yellow flowers in April-June. 13-25 ribs. 4-9 curved central spines, the middle four forming a cross shape. Often found in rocky soil with a southwestern exposure. Habitat is foggy and mild. This cactus does not grow tall. Usually solitary but can form clumps. Size reaches about 12 inches wide. Young spines may be red to yellow but they fade to grey with age. Fruit is green to red, maturing to light yellow. Var. littoralis from a limited area near Santo Tomás may have many more (21-34) ribs and a few more spines. This plant may be easy to confuse with F. fordii (from further south along BC's Pacific coast), a barrel cactus with purple or pink flowers.

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