It features a solitary, flattened, cake-shaped globose stem growing up to 6 cm tall and 15 cm in diameter. Its skin color ranges from light green to a deep, brownish-green that can blush purple under intense sunlight.
It features 5 to 7 slightly recurved, comb-like spines per areole. They emerge in shades of reddish-brown before aging into a pale, crystalline gray.
During summer nights, it bursts into massive, pure white flowers up to 8 cm long. They open at dusk, last for only a single night, and emit an intense, sweet lemon-like fragrance.
