Copiapoa cinerea forma albispina
(Syn: Copiapoa cinerea var. gigantea)

A nicely white spined form. In cultivation this plant reveal an olive-green to brownish epidermis that is quite sensitive and is almost always marked with fungal-like spots and surface cracks.
(This is not a defect but a normal characteristic of this plant)
 

Description: Copiapoa cinerea is one of the most famous and admired species of cacti with chalky/white stems covered with wool at the apex, which contrasts well with the sparse, jet-black spines. The white spined form is quite unusual and rarely seen in cultivation. It is a solitary, or slowly offsetting, globular to columnar cactus.
Stems: Up to 1.2 m tall, 10-20 cm in diameter.  In cultivation the white waxy bloom is often not produced, revealing a brownish epidermis. The epidermis of the white spined form has a sensitive epidermis, that is almost always marked with fungal spots and cracks.
Ribs: 12-30 broad, obtuse;
Central spines: 1 or 2 up to long, terete, glassy white;
Radial spines: 5- 7
Flowers: Yellow funnelform, 1.5 to 2.5 cm in diameter, occasionally with a pink or reddish tint. The Ovary is naked;  it needs a lot of sunlight to bloom, so it's pretty rare to have blossoms when in cultivation in greenhouses.
Fruit: 1.5 to 2 cm. long;
Seeds: Black and shining.
 

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Scientific name:  Copiapoa cinerea var. albispina Ritter

Origin:  Garden origin (Nursery produced cultivar)

Conservation status: Listed in CITES appendix 2.

Synonyms:

• Copiapoa cinerea fa. gigantea (Ritter) Hoffmann
• Copiapoa cinerea var. gigantea (Backbg) Taylor

Cultivation: This extremely slow growing cactus is kept for the beauty of its form.  It must be protected from excessive heat and sun in summer, and seems to do best in cultivation with a bit of shade.  It requires light but regular waterings in summer, but let the soil mix dry between waterings,  Prone to rot if over-watered.  Needs good drainage.  Keep warm and dry in winter (10°C) to avoid rot.  Not highly tolerant of a great deal of frost. (Frost tolerance 0°C)

Propagation: Grafting or by cuttings from adult plants.

Photo of conspecific taxa, varieties, forms and cultivars of Copiapoa cinerea  complex. (This taxon has lots of synonyms (like most copiapoa, with several controversial varieties and subspecies):

• C. cinerea
• C. cinerea "albispina"
• C. cinerea  "variegata"
• C. cinerea var. longispina "alba"
• C. columna alba (C. cinerea var. columna alba)
• C. gigantea (Copiapoa cinerea ssp. gigantea)
• C. haseltoniana (C. cinerea ssp. haseltoniana)
• C. krainziana ((C. cinerea ssp. krainziana)
• C. krainziana 'brunispina' (C. cinerea ssp. krainziana brunispina)
• C. tigrillensis (C. columna alba / C. longistaminea intermediate)