Neolloydia matehualensis has been described by the German horticulturist and cactus expert Curt Backeberg in 1948. It is still a wanted cactus among fellow Hungarian cactus collectors. Due its shiny blueish-greyish green body and big tubercles, it is a very showy taxon even without flowers. Many think it resembles Ortegocactus macdougallii by its look. However others don't even recognize it as a separate species from Neolloydia conoidea. Nevertheless, recent taxonomical works count it as an accepted species. Moreover, molecular studies were carried out by Monserrat Vázquez-Sánchez and collaborators indicating that N. matehualensis is more closely related to some Coryphantha species than to the type species N. conoidea, thus it may have a hybrid origin. Its natural habitat lies in Guadalcazar county, San Luis Potosí state, Mexico, which is one of the most richest areas in cactus species on Earth.
