Xerophyte

Habit

Body highly branched to form large, dense cushions 30-100 cm in diameter and up to 60 cm tall, each with 15-21 individual heads.

Central Spines

One but often absent.

Seeds

Black, about 1 mm broad.

Description

Copiapoa longistaminea is one of the most admired species of Copiapoa that forms dense cushions, with many heads covered with greyish wax and with orange wool at the apex. Copiapoa longistamineaSN|1389]]SN|1389]] is probably a good species rather than a variety of Copiapoa cinerea.

Roots

Thickened short without narrow neck.

Blooming Season

Summer, it needs a lot of sunlight to bloom, so it's pretty rare to have blossoms when in cultivation in greenhouses. It is not unusual for this Copiapoa to take 10 or more years before it starts blooming, but once it does, it should every year.

Spines

1-3 cm long, straight, stiff, brownish at first, later becoming dark red to black and finally grey.

Ribs

15-21, notched and dissolved in low tubercles.

Stem

Globose to short cylindrical or pear-shaped tapered toward the apex, 7-15 cm in diameter and 30-50 cm tall, grey-green filled with orange wool in the crown. The grey colouration is a waxy coating presumably produced to prevent desiccation in it's extremely dry environment. In cultivation the waxy bloom is often not produced, revealing a green or brownish epidermis.

Radial Spines

4-6 often hard to distinguish from the central spine.Flowers. Diurnal closing at night, protracting the period of opening many days, funnel-shaped, bright yellow, 2,2 to 2,5 cm long.

Fruits

Bright green and up to 1 cm long.

Areoles

More or less orange turning grey, later glabrous.