Copiapoa laui ( = lauii )
(Syn: Copiapoa hypogaea  var. lauii)

Copiapoa lauii FK 439 Esmeralda Guanillos, Chile
It is the smallest of the Copiapoa's and a very attractive clustering variety with lots of small heads when mature. It is easily identified just by its small size, brown soft stems, minute spines, large yellow flower and large  tuberous root. It is the only Copiapoa where the side branches form their own roots.
 

Description: Miniature Copiapoa, clustering, partially underground, single stem circa 1cm (rarely 3 cm) across, 1 to 1.5 cm high clear grey to red-brown-grey, sometimes greenish. Top sunken: covered with whitish wool.
Ribs: 15 to 20 with small tubercles in vertical rows.
Spines: whitish to yellowish, occasionally 1 central spine; 4 to 7 insignificant radials
Flower: yellow with reddish petal tips, short, wide funnel-shaped.
Fruit: globular, 3-5 mm across, greenish-brown with shiny black seeds;
Roots: large turnip-like.
 

Photo and © copyright by Robert Maijer (Holland)
Forma cristata

A nice cluster

Photo and © copyright by Andrea B. (Bologna, Italy)

C. lauii at anthesis  This species start flowering when still very small.

Photo of conspecific taxa, varieties, forms and cultivars of plants belonging to the Copiapoa hypogea complex (This Taxon has lots of synonyms ( like many other cacti) whit several controversial varieties and subspecies and comprises a multitude of different forms, but where each form is linked to others by populations of plants with intermediate characteristics):

• Copiapoa hypogea
• Copiapoa hypogea  "LIZARD SKIN"
• Copiapoa hypogea forma mostruosa cristata
• Copiapoa mollicula (hypogea 'mollicula')
• Copiapoa montana (hypogea var. montana)
• Copiapoa laui (hypogea var. laui)
• Copiapoa laui forma cristata  (hypogea var. laui f. cristata)

Family: Cactaceae (Cactus Family)

Scientific name:  Copiapoa laui Diers 1980
Original Description Published in: Kakteen und anderen Sukkulenten, 31(12):362
Forma cristata

NOTE: The species name is frequently misspelled 'lauii' .

Origin:  Garden origin (Nursery produced cultivar)

Conservation status: Listed in CITES appendix 2.

Synonyms:  

• Copiapoa hypogaea  var. lauii (Diers) A. Hoffmann comb.nov. 1989
  Published in: Cactaceas en la flora silvestre de Chile: 102-107  (1989)

A plant grafted on Opuntia compressa

Photo and © copyright by Andrea B. (Bologna, Italy)
C. lauii at anthesis  This species start flowering when still very small.