The first description was made in 1830 by Haworth who pointed at a specimen from cultivation in Brazil. R. Kiesling found out that this plant had probably been collected by Gillies near Mendoza, Argentina, like Opuntia andicola from Pfeiffer (today a synonym of Maihueniopsis glomerata), of which the geographical distribution had been mentioned as “on the cordillera of Mendoza”. Unfortunately the plant that was chosen as a neotype was a plant from Jujuy, Argentina, which would rather be called Maihueniopsis molfinoi according to the actual conception.
Therefore we concentrate on Maihueniopsis that grow in the area around Uspallata in the province of Mendoza, Argentina and on the plateau further north.
Typical Maihueniopsis glomerata, as they can be seen on the plateau north of Uspallata, Mendoza, Argentina.
This Maihueniopsis glomerata SAR 8012 grows on the cordillera between Mendoza and Uspallata.
On the northern edge of the plateau near Rodeo, San Juan, AR, you can find such impressive plants with almost black-tipped spines.
In the Sierra del Tigre, on the eastern edge of the plateau, we saw this Maihueniopsis glomerata SAR 14661.