In Flora of North America, Volume 4 (2003), all taxa in the Escobaria sneedii Complex, which includes Escobaria organensis, have been submerged into a single highly variable species, Coryphantha sneedii, without recognition of subspecific taxa. The NMRPTC notes the subjectivity involved in taxonomic decisions within this complex and will continue to consider E. organensis to be a distinct entity. In discussions at the 2005 New Mexico Rare Plant Technical Council Meeting, Council members concluded that E. organensis represents a population of plants that is geographically defined and sufficiently distinct from other closely related populations that it deserves taxonomic recognition. Although the population of E. organensis is distinct as a whole, it may be difficult to assign some plants in the population to a specific taxon without the aid of geographic information. In particular, Escobaria organensis intergrades with E. sneedii var. sneedii in the northern Franklin Mountains. Escobaria organensis is also difficult to distinguish from E. sandbergii that occurs in the San Andres Mountains to the north.