The name 'bonplandii' honors the French scientist Aimé Bonpland. This small cactus, with an erect or climbing habit, has a green stem with rounded ribs and sparse white downy areoles. The spines are needle-like, rigid and yellowish, of a variable length. During the flowering period, it blooms with large and beautiful funnel-shaped flowers of a white color, that bloom only at night and for this reason they are more commonly known as "The midnight lady".