Forma geofityczna
In the comparison by Larridon and colleagues, C. hypogaea has a small, rounded stem, a thickened taproot and a grey-green surface similar in colour to the substrate. Spines are reduced, from very small to absent. Much of the plant's volume is associated with underground storage tissues. [Larridon et al. 2015, p. 1515]
This combination of features resembles C. laui. The plants were also compared for fine hairs in the axils of scales on the flower covering. Chloroplast sequence analysis separated them onto more distant branches of the genus. Their similar growth form is therefore interpreted as convergence, the independent development of similar organisation. [Larridon et al. 2015, p. 1515–1517]
Distribution and name
POWO lists southwestern Antofagasta and northwestern Atacama in Chile. The accepted name, Copiapoa hypogaea, comes from Ritter's 1960 description. The database recognises two subspecies, the nominate subspecies and cobrensis. [2-WWW]
Copiapoa laui (formerly C. hypogaea subsp. laui) is now treated as a separate species. The older combination remains relevant when identifying material in publications. [2-WWW]
Copiapoa humilis subsp. tenuissima (also formerly C. hypogaea subsp. tenuissima) belongs to another species in the current treatment. Both taxa have separate atlas profiles. [2-WWW]
| Name in the literature | Atlas profile |
|---|---|
| C. hypogaea subsp. laui | Copiapoa laui POWO [2-WWW] |
| C. hypogaea subsp. tenuissima | Copiapoa humilis subsp. tenuissima POWO [2-WWW] |
Synonyms and names in the literature
Pilocopiapoa hypogaea [2-WWW]