Parodia schumanniana is a perennial globular to columnar plant with a diameter of about 30 cm and a height up to 1.8 meters. The 21-48 well-marked ribs are straight and sharp. The bristle-like, straight to slightly curved spines are initially golden yellow, turning to brown or red and gray later. The one to three central spines, which can sometimes also be absent, are 1 to 3 inches long. The flowers bloom in Summer. They are lemon-yellow to golden yellow, with a diameter of about 4.5 to 6.5 cm. The fruits are spherical to ovoid, covered with dense wool and bristles and have diameters up to 1.5 centimeters. They contains reddish-brown to almost black seeds, which are nearly smooth and 1 to 1.2 millimeters long.
