About Copiapoa gigantea Backeb.
Copiapoa gigantea Backeb. forms large clumps that can grow up to 1.5 meters tall, with an overall diameter reaching up to two meters. Its spherical to cylindrical shoots branch from both the base and the sides of the plant. The shoots are gray-green to gray in color, and each has a diameter between 12 and 25 centimeters. This species has 20 to 37 notched ribs that become slightly flattened as they age. Its large areoles are orange. Most individuals have one central spine, though the central spine can sometimes be missing. Up to nine radial spines are present; they are yellowish with dark tips, and reach a maximum length of three centimeters. The flowers are lemon-yellow, wide open, odorless, 2.5 to 4 centimeters long, and can reach up to five centimeters in diameter. This species is distributed in Chile, specifically in the Antofagasta region, near the coast of Paposo.
