The Chileans Volume 16, # 53:91

COPIAPOA PAPOSOENSIS by F Ritter

From Kakteen in Sudamerika Vol.3

Body in the field fiat to hemispherical, solitary, rarely offsetting of its own free will,, 6-12 cm diameter, grass-green, bluish-green, or somewhat grey-green. Body harder than Copiapoa humilis; crown somewhat depressed, with white woolly felt. Massive thickened rootstock going well down into the ground with long narrow neck. Body not discoloured red or brown by the sun, unlike Copiapoa humilis. Ribs 9-16. Type location; at considerable altitude about 20 km north of Paposo, in the mist zone lying at a lower level in the same place there grows Copiapoa humilis . At about 1100 m altitude the mist zone is only very tenuous. Here the tender-bodied Copiapoa humilis becomes burnt to a red colour by the sun in the dryness. Just there is where Copiapoa paposoensis starts with a hard, green, succulent body. From there it extends up to I 300m where the mist zone does not usually reach and the complete desert begins. No hybrids were to be found between the two sorts, although the distribution area for both sorts overlap slightly. In a similar manner, Copiapoa humilis is restricted to the mist zone further to the north near Blanco Encalada, likewise the somewhat harder Copiapoa boliviana. In comparison to that, the still harder Copiapoa solaris is to be found there and the harder Copiapoa paposoensis not until beyond the mist zone at this place. where almost constant sunny weather prevails in company with the greater aridity.

This species is probably more closely related to Copiapoa humilis than to Copiapoa taltalensis.

from H.Middleditch

We have here a clear statement by Ritter that plants which he attributes to Copiapoa humilis are found not only near Paposo but also further to the north near Blanco Encalada. Under the heading of Copiapoa humilis he states categorically that this species extends from Paposo to Blanco Encalada. He also states that Copiapoa paposoensis are to be found above the mist zone not only near Paposo but also near Blanco Encalada. Thus it appears that both these names need to be taken into account when considering the smaller plants reported by A.W.Craig which accompanied Copiapoa solaris at both the location between Caleta Botija and Blanco Encalada, as well as near the junction of the roads from Blanco Encalada and El Cobre.

from A.W.Craig

My best recollection of Copiapoa humilis is from the first trip to Chile with the K.Preston-Mafham party, walking up into the hills not far from Paposo. We went along a green valley which had the advantage of being in the mist zone and it was there that we saw Copiapoa humilis . Fortunately I also have in cultivation a propagation from the Huchison material collected at the Type habitat as well as quite a few other plants of Copiapoa humilis, many of good provenance. On this basis I feel that I can say that the small plants seen growing near the Copiapoa solaris were not in any way related to Copiapoa humilis as they bore no resemblance to the plants I have under this name; the unidentified plants lack distinct tubercles and were hard bodied, whereas Copiapoa humilis  has distinct tubercles and is soft bodied.

from G.Charles

On the 1:250,000 scale map of this section of the coast of northern Chile, it can be seen that from where the coast road leaves the Pan-American highway, north of Paposo, there is only a narrow low-lying strip along the coast between the ocean and the foot of the coastal mountains.

from H.Middleditch

This map also shows that there are few, if any, quebradas of any real significance along the coastal road between the point where it leaves the Pan-Am and Punta dos Reyes. There seems to be little likelihood of finding any further locations along this stretch, with vegetation similar to that in the Quebrada Izcuna and Quebrada Botija.

from R.Ferryman

In trying to envisage the scenery as we drove along that stretch of road, I do not recall seeing the entrance to any quebrada where it would be worth stopping to investigate. Shortly after El Cobre the coast road climbs up into the hills and away from the shore, because from that point northward the coastal hills drop straight down into the sea with no shelf at their foot.

from H.Middleditch

The apparent absence of any potentially interesting cactus sites to the north of El Cobre or over the stretch south of Punta dos Reyes might explain why Ritter quotes only Blanco Encalada or Caleta Botija, out of the whole stretch, for locations for Copiapoa humilis, Copiapoa paposoensis, and Copiapoa variispinata.

Which leaves the question posed by A.W.Craig, what are the smaller plants growing in company with Copiapoa solaris? And the question of the clumping plants seen near Caleta Botija - ,,If these plants are not Copiapoa variispinata, then what are they?“ still remains unanswered. And what would be the identity of the other unidentified Copiapoa seen by R.Ferryman and R.Schultz?