The genus Escobaria includes species of small globose to cylindrical solitary or clumping stems, distributed in Canada, United States and Mexico, while one of the species is from Cuba. Many of the species were once included in Coryphantha and earlier in Mammillaria, mainly due to the presence of tubercles, but Escobaria differs from Mammillaria in that it flowers from new growth at the top of the plant, while the distinction from Coryphantha is primarily in the seeds. The seeds of Escobaria are pitted (foveolate), while those of Coryphantha crisscrossed (reticulate). Some species are particularly cold hardy.
