Origin and Habitat: This cactus is only known from a single location Joyas de Bocacelli, near Aramberri, Nuevo León, Mexico. It has a range of less than 1 km² and a population of less than 1,000 individuals.
Altitude: It grows at about 1060-1220 metres above sea level.
Habitat and Ecology: These plants grow on a gypsum cliff in xerophytic shrubland. There is continuing decline in the number of individuals due to illegal collecting. Large numbers of plants have been removed by collectors at the only known site.

• Turbinicarpus hoferi Lüthy & A.B.Lau
• Neolloydia hoferi (Lüthy & A.B.Lau) A.T.Powell
• Pediocactus hoferi (Lüthy & A.B.Lau) Halda

Description: It is a tiny solitary grey-green cactus that grows partly underground with a tuberous root.
Stem: 0,5-2 cm tall, 2-5 cm in diameter (or more in cultivation), depressed globose, greyish, minutely flocculose and deeply sunken stomata, with a thick wax layer forming irregular flat to scale-like structures, apex with white felt.
Tubercles: Rounded to rhomboid, poorly developed, 4 to 10 mm tall.
Areoles: Apical about 1 mm in diameter, at first with white felt, later becoming bare.
Roots: Tuberose, few branched from underground part of the stem.
Spines: Dimorphic. Juvenile plants have 6 to 13 pectinate spines, 2.5-3 mm long; mature plants have 4 to 7 not corky, needle-like white-grey spines, sometime with a darker tip, erect, some short ones pointing down, some longer pointing up, up to 2 cm long.
Flowers: Funnel-shaped on the apex of the plant, white are up to 2.5 cm long, 1.5-2 cm in diameter often with pinkish midstripe. Stamens 60-80, filaments white, anthers light yellow. Style 8 mm long, white, standing above the anthers. Stigma white, with 5, not spreading, lobes, 1 mm long.
Fruit: Greenish, brownish and drying at maturity 05-7 mm long, 4 mm in diameter with about 50 seeds, dehiscing at the side
Seeds: About 0.9 mm long, cap shaped, 0.7 mm broad, 0.5 mm thick.
Remarks: The flower reminds that of Turbinicarpus lophophoroidesSN|11693]]SN|11693]], but smaller however.

Bibliography: Major references and further lectures
1) Edward Anderson “The Cactus family” Timber Press, Incorporated, 2001
2) James Cullen, Sabina G. Knees, H. Suzanne Cubey "The European Garden Flora Flowering Plants: A Manual for the Identification of Plants Cultivated in Europe, Both Out-of-Doors and Under Glass" Cambridge University Press, 11/Aug/2011
3) David R Hunt; Nigel P Taylor; Graham Charles; International Cactaceae Systematics Group. "The New Cactus Lexicon" dh books, 2006
4) Fitz Maurice, B, Fitz Maurice, W.A., Sotomayor, M. & Smith, M. 2013. Turbinicarpus hoferi. In: IUCN 2013. "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species." Version 2013.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 22 February 2014.

Cultivation and Propagation: It is a summer-growing species of relatively easy cultivation. This plant is xerophytic, adapted to dry soils and is quite susceptible to over-watering if kept in a non ventilated place.
Growth rate: Slow-growing.
Soil: Grow it in an open mineral, sandy-gritty cactus compost and provide a very good drainage.
Exposure: It is suited for sunny-brightly exposure, but can tolerate light shade. However it will do its best only with lots of sun and become stressed with inadequate light which could result in poor growth and unnatural shape. It has a good heat tolerance.
Watering: Water sparingly and keep it completely dry during winter. Mature individuals easily rot and die especially after transplanting so be extremely cautious with watering. Keep dry in winter or when night temperatures remain below 10° C.
Furthermore it has a tap root, and watering it properly is often difficult, because it tends to crack open or rot if over-watered. Careful watering away from the body of the plant will allow the areoles to keep their wool. Water it less than average if in bigger pots.
Fertilization: Feed them once during the growing season with a fertilizer specifically formulated for cactus and succulents (high potash fertilizer with a dilute low nitrogen), including all micro nutrients and trace elements diluted to ½ the strength recommended on the label. They thrive in poor soils and need a limited supplies of fertilizer to avoid the plants developing excess vegetation, which is easily attacked by fungal diseases.
Special need: It is suited for airy exposures. Provide very good ventilation. Nearly all problems occur as a result of overwatering and poor ventilation, especially when weather conditions are dull and cool or very humid. They must have very dry atmosphere.
Hardiness: It likes warmth (recommended minimum winter temperature 5° C) But plants kept perfectly dry can easily survive to winter night temperatures below 0° C.
Pests & diseases: These cacti may be attractive to a variety of insects, but plants in good condition should be nearly pest-free, particularly if they are grown in a mineral potting-mix, with good exposure and ventilation. Nonetheless, there are several pests to watch for:
- Red spiders: Red spiders may be effectively rubbed up by misting the plants from above.
- Mealy bugs: Mealy bugs occasionally develop aerial into the new leaves and flowers with disfiguring results, but the worst types develop underground on the roots and are invisible except by their effects.
- Scales, thrips and aphids: These insects are rarely a problem.
- Rot: Rot is only a minor problem if the plants are watered and “aired” correctly. If they are not, fungicides won't help all that much.
Propagation: Usually propagated from seeds (seldom produces offsets) or graft. The seeds can be sown in pots of fine, well-drained sandy soil, any time during the spring when temperatures are warm. Cover the seeds with a fine layer of grit and water from below with a fungicide to prevent damping off. For the 1-2 weeks cover the pots with a sheet of glass/clear perspex to keep the humidity levels high. Remove the glass and replace it with light shade-cloth and mist once or twice a day for the next two weeks after which most seeds should have germinated. From then on mistings can be reduced to every second and then every third day as the little plants grow. The seedlings should not be disturbed until they are well rooted after which they can be planted separately in small pots. Sometimes it is grafted to avoid root rot problems as plants grafted on an hardy stock are easy to grow and no special skill is required.