A name anchored to original material

The name Eriosyce curvispina is based on an early description of plants from the Cachapoal area. Material from Cerro La Leona in that region was particularly important in the 2024 revision. Combining provenance, plant characters and DNA evidence established which lineage retains E. curvispina in the strict sense. POWO accepts it separately from the eight other species recognized in the revision [Walter et al. 2024] [2-WWW].

Plant structure

The dark-green globose stem reaches about 8–12 cm in diameter and has fibrous roots. It usually bears 14–16 ribs with small woolly areoles. Radial spines are generally 1–2 cm long. One to four strong central spines reach about 2–2.5 cm and curve upwards [Walter et al. 2024].

The daytime funnel-shaped flowers are about 5 cm long. Yellow tepals show a variably pronounced reddish central stripe, and the style is reddish. Seeds measure about 1.3 × 1.2 mm. Their surface bears tubercles, differing from the conspicuously ridged seed coats of some other members of the former complex [Walter et al. 2024].

Range and interpretation of earlier studies

Under the narrower treatment, the species occurs inland from Maipo to Maule at 1000–2000 m elevation. In 2024 the revision’s authors proposed Vulnerable, VU, identifying threats including urbanization, mining and fire. Earlier publications on E. curvispina require checking locality and material. Farellones populations were assigned to E. grandiflora, Ocoa to E. robusta, and coastal Los Molles and Pichidangui to E. mutabilis [Walter et al. 2024].

Related articles

Hidden diversity in Eriosyce. DNA, geography and pollinators in species recognition

Materials from the author's archive

The species also appears in Konrad Szychowski's private material archive [Kaktologia 2009b] [Neciu n.d.] [Kaktusy i Inne 2004].

Synonyms and names in the literature

Cactus curvispinus · Echinocactus curvispinus · Horridocactus curvispinus · Neoporteria curvispina · Pyrrhocactus curvispinus · Echinocactus froehlichianus · Echinocactus geissei var. albicans · Echinocactus soehrensii · Eriosyce curvispina subsp. curvispina · Gymnocalycium froehlichianum · Hildmannia curvispina · Hildmannia froehlichiana · Horridocactus andicola var. mollensis · Horridocactus kesselringianus · Horridocactus kesselringianus var. subaequalis · Malacocarpus curvispinus · Neoporteria curvispina f. albicans · Neoporteria curvispina f. mollensis · Neoporteria curvispina f. subaequalis · Neoporteria curvispina var. kesselringiana · Neoporteria kesselringiana · Neoporteria tuberisulcata var. froehlichiana · Pyrrhocactus andicola var. mollensis · Pyrrhocactus froehlichianus · Pyrrhocactus kesselringianus [2-WWW]

Related plant cards

Eriosyce grandifloraEriosyce mutabilisEriosyce robustaEriosyce

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