Despite being described here, this new species is quite widespread and has been in cultivation in Brazil and overseas since 1980's, usually misidentified as Orthophytum leprosum or O. magalhaesii. It is easily seen along the road between Teofilo Otoni and Nanuque, in the Northeast region of Minas Gerais, where it grows in plain to slightly inclined bare rock surfaces completely exposed to sunlight. The easy access to the wild populations of O. lanuginosum and its very attractive silvery leaves probably contributed to repeated collections and introduction in cultivation by many pioneer bromeliad collectors, like Roberto Burle Marx, Luiz K. Correia de Araujo, the brothers Luiz Carlos and Sergio Gurken, to name few.
Orthophytum lanuginosum shares its habitat with cactus species and other Bromeliaceae, like a huge Aechmea sp. possibly belonging to subgenus Chevaliera, Cryptanthus sp., O. compactum, Pseudananas sagenarius, Encholirium horridum, and Alcantarea sp. —SeeLeme & Paula 2005p. 161
