C. magnifica Knize n.n.

See under C. marginata.

C. malletiana (Lem. 1845) Backeb. Plant no.60, map 6. KK 16b.

Body - simple, depressed globular or somewhat cylindrical. Very woolly at top, 10 cm high with more or less 15 - 17 ribs; Spines - straight, acicular, black, 5 - 6 radials, suberect, 1 central.

Note: Backeberg added to the description by indicating that the plant did off­set, was grey - green in colour later farinaceous. Areoles more or less sunken, but spines only numbered 2 - 3, pointing downwards. This additional information came from European cultivated plants!

Britton and Rose thought it might be a Neoporteria but the description was inadequate.

Marshall and Bock considered it to be similar to Echinocactus pulverulentus and thus to Eriosyce ceratiste.

Borg refers to a Copiapoa malletiana (Lem) Br.&R. but in Volume 3 of Britton and Rose, they felt it was a Neoporteria. Is Borg incorrect? Here again the original description did not refer to flower, fruit, seed or locality. Backeberg, however, treats it as a Copiapoa, although he does add that the description was based on plants grown under European conditions. He also felt that this plant was the same as Ritter's Copiapoa carrizalensis but at least we know where Ritter's plant comes from.

If we follow this through and agree with Taylor (1981) then this poorly described taxon could be C. cinerea v. dealbata. The problem then arises in that C. malletiana was named before C. cinerea.

KK 196 was incorrectly distributed by Knize as C. grandiflora, and he advises that it is C. malletiana.  

C. marginata (S.D. 1845) Br.&R.
Plant no.2, map 3. KK 90.

Body subcylindrical, clusters of 2 - 9, usually erect, but when old often 60 cm long and spreading with ascending tips, about 12 cm across. Ribs 8 - 12, low, widely separated. Crown filled with masses of soft brown hair; Areoles - large, adjoining ones almost touching, young areoles with soft brown hair; Spines­ 5 - 10, unequal, subulate, stout, the longer one 3 cm long; Flowers - small 2.5 cm long, outer petals broad, obtuse with red tips, inner petals yellow; Fruit­naked, small, 8 mm long with shiny black seeds; Habitat - Coastal hills of Antofagasta.

Note: Backeberg has added that the plant (under cultivation) is dirty grey to a lighter green, areoles later blackish, spines brown at first, the longer spine with darker brown tip. Backeberg also stated that Copiapoa streptocaulon sensu Ritter is identical to C. marginata which is what Britton and Rose considered when they reduced it to synonymy. However, Backeberg also believed that C. marginata sensu Ritter was really C. lembckei. Many plants in Australia named C. lembckei are much closer to the C. marginata description than that of C. lembckei: so there appear to be strong reasons to believe that we have C. marginata instead. Let us remember that Antofagasta, the habitat area of C. marginata is some 400 km north of Caldera, where C. lembckei occurs.

C. marginata v. magnifica Knize n.n.

KK 173 is a variety of C. marginata.

KK 1393, distributed as C. magnifica is a variety of C. lembckei collected from Caldera.

C. megarhiza Br.&R. Plant no.43, map 5.
KK 109, KK 109A.

Body solitary, to 26 .cm high, 4 - 9 cm across. Globular to columnar with age, dull green to almost white, 13 low ribs. Crown with long white wool; Spines­12 at first yellow, soon grey, 1.5 cm long, rather stout; F1ower - 2.5 cm long, yellow; Fruit - green, 6 - 8 mm long, naked but for 5 green scales at top. Seeds black, 2 mm long; Roots large, fleshy, 7 - 8 cm across to 25 cm long; Habitat Granitic hills near Copiapo.

Note: Taylor (1981) suggests that this should be considered with C. echinata and C. totoralensis.

C. megarhiza v. microrhiza Ritt. (Kakt. Sudamer. 1980)

Found in Copiapó valley from east of Paipote to west of Toleda.

C. melanohystrix Ritt. (Kakt. Sudamer. 1980)

Esmeralda, south to near Chanaral.

Note: Taylor (1981) suggests this is within C. cinerea v. columna-alba.

C. microcarpa Knize n.n. Plant no.72, map 7.

No description available.

Knize found KK 44 at Islon - Mina (800 m).

C. militaris Knize n.n. Plant no.63, map 7. KK 1389.

No description available.

C. minima Knize n.n. Plant no.61, map 6. KK 1138.

No description available.

Knize collected this at Carrizal Alto at 600 m. Taylor (1981) suggests this may be within the range of  C. cinerea v. dealbata.

C. minuta Knize n.n. Plant no.51, map 6. KK 1139, KK 601.

No description available. KK 1139 was collected on the Totoral coast at 200 m and KK 601 from Carrizal Mina at 600 m.

C. mollicula Ritt. (Taxon 1963) Plant no.33, map 5. KK 657, FR 525.

Body - flat of hemispherical, soft, grey - green, mai.n1y solitary, 4 - 7 cm across, 10 - 14 ribs, very blunt, scarcely tubercled, 5 - 8 mm high, more or less 1 cm wide; Areoles - round, white, 3 mm across, 5 mm apart; Spines 5 - 9 radials, acicular , erect, grey, 5 - 15 mm long. 1 - 3 centrals, stronger, 1 - 3 cm long, brown or black; Flower - 2.5 - 3 cm long, pale saffron. Stamens inserted 1 - 2 mm from throat of tube 1.1 to 1.5 cm long, anthers gold. Style 1.7 to 1.9 cm long with 9 - 11 gold stigma lobes. Tube 6 - 8 mm long with scales; Fruit - globular with insignificant scales. Seed rich green with white hilum; Habitat - in the hills near the airport north - east of Chanaral.

Note: Taylor (1981) suggests this may be a form of C. hypogaea.

C. montana Ritt. 1960. Plant no. 17, map 4. FR 522.

Body - grey - green, globular, clumping, each head 20 cm high, 5 - 10 cm across, with 10 - 17 ribs, 8 mm high and blunt tubercles; Areoles - 1 cm across, brown later white; Spines 4 - 7 radials, very fine, adpressed. 1 - 3 centrals more than double the length of the radials; Flower - large, 4 cm long, white to pale yellow; scented; Fruit - to 1.2 cm across, green to shiny red with shiny black seeds; Habitat -  Taltal region.

Note: Taylor (1981) suggests this may be a variety of C. hypogaea.

C. multicolor Backeb. Plant no.48, map 5. KK 1394.

Body - small, broad-round, leaden dark green with 11 humped ribs. Obliquely notched, flattened tubercles are situated above the areoles; Spines - at first black, base lighter, soon all white, then changing to almost horn colour. Up to about 10 radials up to 3 centrals which are a little stronger and a few longer than the moderately short radials.

Note: Described by Backeberg from a seedling from Van Marie in Holland. Alleged to be from Ritter, but not mentioned in Winter's catalogues. Knize claims to have found it near Copiapó.