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Copiapoa coquimbana KK1 Cerro Grande, La Serena, Chile 400 m
 

Description: Elongated-globose stems, 10-15 cm in diameter, that branch profusely, forming large clumps up 1 m wide and 60 cm high.  Pale to bright green, and crowned by a dense mass of long white wool, particularly at flowering time.
Ribs: There are 10 to 17 tuberculate ribs, with a rounded, raised edge and a wide base.
Areoles: Apical, convex, covered with short wool when young, later glabrous, about 0,5-0,8 cm, 2 cm apart.
Radial spines: 8-10, fairly slender or slightly curved, horizontal, honey-amber, brown or black, becoming grey with age.
Centrals spines: Absent or one or two thicker ones, up to 3 cm long.
Roots:  Fibrous, unlike other species which have taproots.
Flowers: Campanulate, 3 cm long, and they grow from the centre of the white wool at the apex.  The outer segments of the perianth are linear and greenish. The inner segments are wide, blunt and yellow
 

Scientific name:  Copiapoa coquimbana (Karwinsky ex Rümpler) Britton & Rose

This is one of the oldest species, described in 1885 by Rümpler as Echinocactus coquimbanus, and later transferred to the genus Copiapoa by Britton and Rose.

Origin:  South of the Copiapoa genus range (from the hills around the coastal towns of Coquimbo and La Serena in the province of Coquimbo) Chile.

Conservation status: Listed in CITES appendix 2.

Synonyms:  

• Copiapoa pendulina
• Copiapoa vallenarensis
• Copiapoa pseudocoquimbana
• Copiapoa wagenknechtii
• Echinocactus coquimbanus
• Copiapoa alticostata

Copiapoa coquimbana KK1
A fiercely spined seedling.  The spines' size and colour vary considerably from one specimen to another
 

Cultivation: Very slow-growing, it needs full sun, but should be protected from excessive heat and sun in summer. t requires light watering and good drainage.  Keep warm and dry in winter to avoid rot.  It needs mild heat in winter; avoid any frost.

Propagation: Seeds,  or stems planted as cuttings.  Grafting is often used to speed growth rate, and to create a back-up to plants in collection.

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