Xerophyte

Description

The name Copiapoa cinerea from Serra Vetata can be referred to a form or clonotype within the variability of Copiapoa cinereaSN|1380]]SN|1380]]. This species shows great variation and it is sometimes difficult to separate one local form from another. Many of this forms have received unnecessary names. The cinera population from Serra Vetata is characterized by strongly tubercled ribs (at least when young).

Note

Copipoa cinerea is a very variable species, as is demonstrated by the number of varieties and their synonyms. The several classifications and reclassifications provide evidence of the confusion that rules regarding the names used in this highly variable species. It seems that many of botanists and hobbyists who have studied Copiapoa in habitat have formed their own concepts of what names should be applied to which plants. It is relatively easy to attribute some key features that dominate in certain populations, but it is equally possible to look more closely at plants in these populations, to find individuals that 'break the rules' and would easily fit another population's dominant characteristics.