Description
This is the nice crested form of Copipoa humilis with olive-green, or somewhat grey-green, or rarely red-brown stems that forms nice brain-shaped mounds. The apical line meristem is somewhat depressed often with white woolly felt. There are several clones and the dimension of the mound varies from 10 cm to 30 cm in diameter (but often more in cultivation, especially if grafted) moreover the transversal thickness of the crests vary from 2 to 8 cm. Given insufficient light and too much water, they grow into great masses of fat, olive-green crests. Given a very bright position, the stems are dark tannish-green, brownish to almost black at times, with red and purple. There are indeed marked differences in sizes, epidermis colour and spines length in plants from different clones, and also the growing condition (especially sun exposure, water availability and grafting) determine conspicuous differences in habit of cultivate specimens.
Roots: Massive, thickened rootstock going well down into the ground, with a long narrow neck.
Flowers: Yellow, campanulate, scented, about 30 mm long, growing from the centre of the white wool at the apex.
Origin and Habitat
Garden origin (Nursery produced cultivar)
Cultivation and Propagation
Easy to grow, need full sun but should be protected from excessive heat and sun in summer. Require light watering and good drainage. Keep warm and dry in winter to avoid rot. It needs mild heat in winter, avoid any frost.
Propagation: Stems planted as cuttings. Grafting is sometime used to speed growth rate and to create a back-up to plants in collection.
Bibliography
Major references and further lectures
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Robert Silverberg “The Palace at Midnight: The Collected Stories, Volume 5“ Hachette UK, 29/Sep/2011
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Graham Charles “Copiapoa” Cirio Pub. Services, 1999
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Riha & Subik. “The illustrated encyclopedia of cacti and other succulents” (edited by G. & K.A. Beckett) 1981
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James Cullen, Sabina G. Knees, H. Suzanne Cubey “The European Garden Flora Flowering Plants: A Manual for the Identification of Plants Cultivated in Europe, Both Out-of-Doors and Under Glass” Cambridge University Press, 11/ago/2011
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Clive Innes “Complete Handbook of Cacti and Succulents” Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, 01/Dec/1981
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Edward Anderson “The Cactus family” Timber Press, Incorporated, 2001
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David R Hunt; Nigel P Taylor; Graham Charles; International Cactaceae Systematics Group. “The New Cactus Lexicon” dh books, 2006
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N. L. Britton, J. N. Rose “The Cactaceae. Descriptions and Illustrations of Plants of the Cactus Family.” Volume 4, The Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington 1923
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F.Ritter “Kakteen Südamerika” 3: 1072 1980
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