Xerophyte

Central Spines

1-3 sub-erected, strong, up to1-2 cm long, black, brown or amber-yellow (never grey). Often the young plants are completely spineless.

Seeds

Shining-black. 1,2 mm long, 0,6 mm large, 0,5 mm thick. Covered with very fine flattened tubercles, hilum oval white.

Description

Usually solitary, forms white columns. All the plant in habitats lean markedly northward toward the sun following the direction of predominant wind, leading to the illusion that the entire landscape is tilted, This behaviour has been explained as a tactic by which the cactus minimizes the surface area exposed to the direct rays of sun. Thus the sun hits the woolly bent-over top of the cactus at an 90° angle, with the long trunk receiving only indirect sun. This species is more decorative than Copiapoa cinereaSN|1380]]SN|1380]] and one of the showiest of all cacti.

Roots

Not napiform.

Note

This appears to be a very variable species.

Flowers

Apical, funnel form, small (2-3 cm long), yellow, scentless. Tube 7-15 mm long, pale-yellow with few thin, red tipped scales. Nectar chamber up to 4 wide, 2 mm deep and open. Lower filaments 15-18 mm long inserted at the base of the nectar chamber, upper filaments up to 10 mm long on the wall of the tube. Filaments and anthers pale yellow. Style up to 2 cm long not surpassing the stamens, stigma lobes 10, golden-yellow. 7 - 14 tepals, 10-12 mm long, 3-5 mm broad rounded, pale yellow, not tinged in red.

Ribs

27-47, depressed, obtuse and tuberculated, approx 1 cm wide, 5-7 mm tall. Inter-ribs suture wavy.

Stem

Variable 50-75 cm tall, 10-20 cm in diameter, epidermis covered with a thick stratum of ashy-white pruine (it is often more white than the Copiapoa cinereaSN|1380]]SN|1380]]). Apex flattened with abundant yellow-orange or grey wool and without spines.

Radial Spines

4-5 thin and arching, 5-8 mm long. Normally not present in adult specimen.

Fruits

Deeply concealed within the apical wool, 7-10 mm in diameter, round or egg-shaped, pale green reddening toward the apex, almost naked with only few (3-4 mm long) scales. Almost completely dry at maturity, deihscence capsular (less pulpy than in Copiapoa cinereaSN|1380]]SN|1380]]).

Areoles

Small (diameter 2-3 mm), oblong, with yellow-orange wool (later becoming grey) recessed within the lower part of tubercle, 4-8 mm apart.