The distribution of this species is relatively wide in the Atacama Desert of Chile. It is one of the smallest of the Copiapoas, and it again is taxonomically confused. While some put this under C. humilis, we leave it as its own species because we definitely think this species is unique. The body is dark, with a greenish-black appearance, and the spines are white; these plants tend to prolifically offset, forming a nice clump. As usual, the flowers are yellow. These plants are seedlings in 4-inch pots.