Copiapoa is a genus of flowering plants in the cactus family Cactaceae, from the dry coastal deserts, particularly the Atacama Desert, of northern Chile.
It comprises 32 morphologically defined species and 5 heterotypic subspecies.[1] The species in the genus Copiapoa forms dense cushions of hundreds of large individual plants or produce only solitary plants. The shoots are spherical or elongated-cylindrical. The spines, which are usually present, are variably shaped. On the apex, the species are usually densely woolly-haired. The ribs are clearly developed. These species vary in form from spherical to slightly columnar and in color from a brownish to blue-green body. They have warty ribs and spiny areoles, and they usually produce tubular yellow flowers which grow from woolly crowns on the apex in summer. They are bell- to funnel-shaped and open during the day. The short, circular pericarp is glabrous. The flower tube is short and broad. The small, smooth fruits contain large, shiny black seeds.[2]
Pilocopiapoa F.Ritter has been brought into synonymy with this genus. Some authorities also include here the genus Blossfeldia.
Species of the genus Copiapoa according to Plants of the World Online [3] separated according to sections.[4] [5]
| Subgenus | Image | Scientific name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pilocopiapoa | Copiapoa solaris | Chile (Antofagasta to NW. Atacama) | |
| Copiapoa australis | Chile (Atacama) | ||
| Unplaced | Copiapoa laui | Chile (Antofagasta to NW. Atacama) | |
| Mammillopoa | Copiapoa humilis | Chile (Antofagasta). | |
| Copiapoa sect. Cinerei | Copiapoa ahremephiana | Chile (W. & SW. Antofagasta). | |
| Copiapoa gigantea | Chile (Antofagasta to N. Atacama) | ||
| Copiapoa cinerea | Chile (Antofagasta to Atacama) | ||
| Copiapoa sect. Copiapoa | Copiapoa angustiflora | Chile (SW. Antofagasta) | |
| Copiapoa aphanes | Chile (SW. Antofagasta) | ||
| Copiapoa atacamensis | Chile (Antofagasta to NW. Atacama) | ||
| Copiapoa calderana | Chile (Antofagasta to Atacama) | ||
| Copiapoa cinerascens | Chile (SW. Antofagasta to NW. Atacama). | ||
| Copiapoa decorticans | Chile (Antofagasta to Atacama) | ||
| Copiapoa desertorum | Chile (Antofagasta to NW. Atacama) | ||
| Copiapoa esmeraldana | Chile (SW. Antofagasta to NW. Atacama) | ||
| Copiapoa grandiflora | Chile (SW. Antofagasta to NW. Atacama). | ||
| Copiapoa hypogaea | Chile (SW. Antofagasta to NW. Atacama). | ||
| Copiapoa leonensis | Chile (Atacama). | ||
| Copiapoa longispina | Chile (Atacama) | ||
| Copiapoa longistaminea | Chile. | ||
| Copiapoa marginata | Chile (SW. Atacama to NW. Coquimbo) | ||
| Copiapoa megarhiza | Chile (Atacama). | ||
| Copiapoa mollicula | Chile (Atacama to NW. Coquimbo). | ||
| Copiapoa montana | Chile (SW. Antofagasta) | ||
| Copiapoa rupestris | Chile (Antofagasta). | ||
| Copiapoa serpentisulcata | Chile (SW. Antofaga to NW. Atacama). | ||
| Copiapoa taltalensis | Chile (SW. Antofagasta). | ||
| Echinopoa | Copiapoa coquimbana | Chile (SW. Antofagasta to Coquimbo) | |
| Copiapoa corralensis | Chile (Atacama) | ||
| Copiapoa echinoides | Chile (Atacama to NW. Coquimbo). | ||
| Copiapoa fiedleriana | Chile (SW. Antofagasta to NW. Coquimbo) | ||
| Copiapoa fusca | Chile (Atacama). | ||
| Copiapoa malletiana | Chile (Atacama) | ||
| Copiapoa pendulina | Chile (Coquimbo) | ||
| Copiapoa schulziana | Chile (Atacama). | ||