This species was described by Backeberg as Tephrocactus coloreus Ritter in 1963 and recombined to Maihueniopsis colorea by Ritter in 1980.
We took the photograph of this Maihueniopsis colorea SAR 13991 in the Quebrada San Andres, Chile, – the type locality of the secies.
This picture of the segments shows the typical spination of this species.
We were lucky to see a flower on our first visit.
During that travel we also looked for plants along the southern route to the Salar de Maricunga (before the border “Paso San Francisco” to Argentina).
Maihueniopsis colorea SAR 1351 south of the Quebrada San Andres, Chile
Flower of the plant shown above.
When continuing this road in direction to the Salar de Maricunga, you come across these plants that we cannot identify up to now.
Maihueniopsis aff. colorea ? SAR 1341
Close-up of the flower, that shows a closer relationship to the plants further north near the mine Mantos de Oro, which Ritter put to Maihueniopsis camachoi.