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Original
Description
Britton N. L. &
Rose J. N., (1922) -
The Cactaceae (3) : 86
Plants
with large fleshy roots, sometimes 25 cm. long and 7 to 8 cm. in diameter,
usually single, rarely in 2’s and 3’s, globular to elongate-cylindric, 8 to
26 cm. long, 4 to 9 cm. in diameter, dull green to almost white; ribs
usually 13, very low; crown of plant covered with long white wool at
flowering time; spines about 12, 1.5 cm. long, rather stout, at first yellow
but soon gray; flowers yellow, 2.5 cm. long; fruit green, 6 to 8 mm. long,
naked, crowned by 5 green scales; seeds black, 2 mm. long.
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Collected by J. N. Rose on the very dry granitic hills near Copiapó, Chile,
October 12, 1914 (No. 19323).
Herbarium specimen (right) held at the Herbarium of the New York
Botanical Garden.
NY Specimen ID: 120667
Specimen Notes: Examined for The Cactaceae, Carnegie Institution
of Washington. |
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J. N. Rose 41275,
01 Jan 1914 NY Specimen ID: 120668
Collection Notes: Apparently prepared from living material of J.
N. Rose 19323, the type collection, at the New York Botanical Garden
(Annotation by P. C. Hutchison, Nov. 1953).
Specimen Notes: Examined for The Cactaceae, Carnegie Institution
of Washington. |
Two
other species, Echinocactus cinerascens Lemaire and E. copiapensis
Pfeiffer, were described as coming from Copiapó, but whether from the town
or the province we do not know. Both have more ribs than the plant here
described.
References in Literature
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Britton N. L. &
Rose J. N., (1922)
The Cactaceae (3) : 86 |
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Original description,
see above |
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Ritter F. in
Hildegard Winter Katalog |
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FR 231 appears in the 1962 Katalog as:
Copiapoa megarhiza -
Grau bereift, gelbe Bl. |
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Backeberg C.
(1959),
Die Cactaceae 3: |
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Ritter F. (1980)
Kakteen in
Südamerika (3):1097 |
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Because the original
description is so vague, Ritter gives his own description and notes that
west of Toledo it grows alongside C. echinata var borealis with
hybrids occurring between these taxa. He proposes a new variety:
microrhiza growing in hills, east of Paipote, with only a weak taproot. |
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Taylor N.P. (1981)
A
commentary on Copiapoa , The Cactus and Succulent Journal of Great
Britain, 43(2/3):
49-60
Checklist |
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'C.
megarhiza B. & R., Cact. 3: 89 (1922);
F. Ritter, Kakt. Südamer. 3: 1081, fig. 1010 (1980), non Backeb.
(1959) (= C. fiedlerana). Type: Prov. Atacama, near Copiapó,
dry granitic hills, 1914, Rose 19323 (US). Ritter has described the
following variety: C. megarhiza var. microrhiza F. Ritter, loc.
cit. (1980). Range: Copiapó valley, from E. of Paipote to W. of
Toleda.
To be considered here
is C. echinata F. Ritter in
Cactus (Paris) 14 (63): 133, with fig. (1959); Kakt. Südamer. 3: 1080,
figs. 997 & 998 (1980). Type: Prov. Atacama, Carrizal Bajo, 1956,
Ritter 506 (ZSS cited, but type never received). Syn. C. echinata
var. borealis F. Ritter, 11.cc.; C. totoralensis F. Ritter
in Cactus (Paris) 15(66): 23 - 24, with fig. (1960). Range: from the
Rio Copiapó valley to Carrizal Bajo (Dept. Copiapó). Sympatric in
part with C. megarhiza, according to Ritter (1980).
Cf. C. calderana and C. fiedlerana.' |
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Butcher D.
(1982)
The Genus Copiapoa, Calandrinia II :
12 |
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'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 Copiapó.
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.' |
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Hoffmann A.
E. (1989)
Cactaceas en la flora silvestre de Chile: 126 |
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Recognises
this as a good species and adds var. echinata: Copiapoa
megarhiza Britton et Rose var. echinata (Ritter) A. Hoffmann |
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Meregalli M
& Doni, C (1991)
Piante Grasse Speciale - Il Genere Copiapoa |
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Eggli U., Schick
M.M. & Leuenburger, B.E. (1995)
Englera 16:
162
Copiapoa megarhiza var
microrhiza FR231a
Image by Paul Klaassen |
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Ritter 231:
Copiapoa megarhiza
Britton & Rose -
The Cact. 3: 89, 1922.
loc. 1:
Chile: “Paipote bei Copiapó“ = Paipote mear Copiapó. - / 1. / 1954. -
Locality data and collection date according to original Ritter seed sample
at ZSS, partly repeated on the index card associated with the other seed
sample at ZSS.
ZSS
S10086
- sem (Leg. F. Ritter 1955.)
ZSS SR13287 -sem
loc. 2:
Chile: “Copiapó“.
SGO 124853 - (rad), corp. ar, sp
loc. 3:
Chile: sine loco.
SGO 124854 (in 2 parts) - (rad), corp. ar, sp
loc. 4:
Chile: “Toledo Nr. 5 u. 6“. - One of the original labels has the number as
“FR 231 + 506a“; FR 506a is Copiapoa echinata var. borealis
according to KS 4.
SGO
124856 - (corp), ar, sp
[page
184]
Ritter 231a: Copiapoa megarhiza
Britton & Rose var.
microrhiza F. Ritter -Kakt. Südamer. 3: 1081, 1980.
Typus
(T):
Ritter 231a (U, SGO [status ?J) (Type cited for U 1.c. 1: iii, 1979.).
loc. 1:
Chile: Atacama; “Gebirge östlich Paipote“ = mountains E of Paipote. - / 1. /
1954. - Data and date according to specimen at U.
U HOLO - (corp), ar, sp (Collection number inferred. Assumed to represent
the holotype as this is the only specimen present.)[page
185]
loc.
2:
Chile: Atacama; “Toledo Nr. 2” / “Paipote”. -/6./1955.
SGO 124855
Type number – (corp), ar. sp |
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Schulz R. & Kapitany
A., (1996)
Copiapoa in their
Environment |
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The
species grows outside the range covered
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Charles G. J., (1998)
Copiapoa
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As C. megarhiza and C. megarhiza var echinata
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Hunt D.
(Ed.) (2001)
Coping with Copiapoa - 2,
Cactaceae Systematics Initiatives 12: 15-17 |
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Taylor N.
P., (2001)
Roots and mucilage in Copiapoa,
Cactaceae Systematics Initiatives 12: 18 |
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Hunt D. (Ed.)
(2002)
Cactaceae Systematics Initiatives 13:12 |
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Hoffmann A.E. & Walter H. (2004)
Cactaceas en la flora silvestre
de Chile (2nd Ed.): 130 |
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Hunt D. (Ed.)
(2006)
The New Cactus Lexicon |
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Schulz, R. (2006)
Copiapoa in their Environment (2006) |
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Distribution
PK Comments
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