Its name is the Latinized version of "maihuén", term with which local people call this cactus. These are high mountain plants that we can define photoautotrophic, as they autonomously use the light to which they are exposed as a source of energy for their vital processes. This cactus develops in the form of many small segments with white spines and small succulent leaves that create large green carpets as they grow, where, in late spring, very large and showy yellow inflorescences stand out, with a satiny appearance and a pleasant softness.