Eriosyce crispa

Description

Eriosyce crispa is a species of plant in the genus Eriosyce of the cactus family (Cactaceae). The specific epithet crispa means 'curly, curled'. Eriosyce crispa grows with flattened, almost spherical to slightly elongated, blackish grey-green shoots and reaches a diameter of 5 to 10 centimeters. The root is bulbous, the root neck is sometimes separated from the shoot. There are ten to 16 ribs that are notched or depressed. The upturned, black to brown spines are sometimes twisted and sometimes hairy. The one to five central spines are 2 to 8 centimeters, the six to 14 radial spines 1.5 to 5 centimeters long. The funnel-shaped, white flowers have a red central stripe and appear on young areoles. They are 3.5 to 5 centimeters long and have the same diameter. Your pericarpel and the flower tube are covered with scales, wool and white bristles. The reddish, slightly elongated fruits open with a basal pore. Eriosyce crispa is distributed in the Atacama region of Chile in coastal areas. The first description as Pyrrhocactus crispus was in 1959 by Friedrich Ritter. Fred Kattermann placed the species in the genus Eriosyce in 1994. Further nomenclatural synonyms are Horridocactus crispus (F.Ritter) Backeb. (1962), Neoporteria crispa (F.Ritter) Donald & GDRowley (1966) and Neoporteria vallenarensis var. crispa (F.Ritter) AEHoffm. (1989, nom. invalid.). The following subspecies are distinguished: Eriosyce crispa subsp. crispa Eriosyce crispa subsp. totoralensis (F.Ritter) Katt. In the IUCN RedList of Threatened Species, the species is listed as " Endangered (EN) ". H. listed as critically endangered.