Origin and Habitat: Chile Coquimbo and Atacama regions. Low Andes mountain on the north and south Of Río Elqui Valley down to near the ocean cost.

• Eriosyce kunzei (C.F.Först.) Katt.
• Chilenia kunzei (C.F.Först.) Backeb.
• Echinocactus kunzei C.F.Först.
• Hildmannia kunzei (C.F.Först.) Kreuz. & Buining
• Horridocactus kunzei (Förster) F.Ritter
• Neochilenia kunzei (Förster) Backeb.
• Neochilenia kunzii (C.F.Först.) Backeb. ex Dölz
• Neoporteria kunzei (C.F.Först.) Backeb.
• Neoporteria kunzii (C.F.Först.) Backeb. in Backeb. & F.M.Knuth
• Pyrrhocactus kunzei (C.F.Först.) Borg
• Pyrrhocactus kunzii (C.F.Först.) Borg

• Eriosyce kunzei (C.F.Först.) Katt.
• Chilenia kunzei (C.F.Först.) Backeb.
• Echinocactus kunzei C.F.Först.
• Hildmannia kunzei (C.F.Först.) Kreuz. & Buining
• Horridocactus kunzei (Förster) F.Ritter
• Neochilenia kunzei (Förster) Backeb.
• Neochilenia kunzii (C.F.Först.) Backeb. ex Dölz
• Neoporteria kunzei (C.F.Först.) Backeb.
• Neoporteria kunzii (C.F.Först.) Backeb. in Backeb. & F.M.Knuth
• Pyrrhocactus kunzei (C.F.Först.) Borg
• Pyrrhocactus kunzii (C.F.Först.) Borg
• Echinocactus geissei Poselg. ex K.Schum.
• Hildmannia geissei (Poselg. ex K.Schum.) Kreuz. & Buining
• Horridocactus geissei (Poselg. ex K.Schum.) Dölz
• Neoporteria curvispina var. geissei (Poselg. ex K.Schum.) Donald & G.D.Rowley
• Echinocactus kunzei var. brevispinosus C.F.Först.
• Echinocactus kunzei var. rigidior Salm-Dyck
• Echinocactus neumannianus Labour.
• Echinocactus supertextus Pfeiff.
• Eriosyce eriosyzoides (F.Ritter) Ferryman
• Horridocactus eriosyzoides F.Ritter
• Neochilenia eriosyzoides (F.Ritter) Backeb.
• Neoporteria eriosyzoides (F.Ritter) Donald & G.D.Rowley
• Pyrrhocactus eriosyzoides (F.Ritter) F.Ritter
• Neochilenia eriosyzoides var. roseiflora Y.Itô
• Neoporteria densispina Y.Itô
• Neoporteria nidus f. densispina (Y.Itô) Donald & G.D.Rowley
• Neoporteria eriosyzoides var. domeykoensis (F.Ritter) Ferryman
• Neoporteria vallenarensis var. domeykoensis (F.Ritter) A.E.Hoffm.
• Pyrrhocactus eriosyzoides var. domeykoensis F.Ritter

• Eriosyce kunzei var. transitensis (F.Ritter) Katt.
• Eriosyce eriosyzoides var. transitensis (F.Ritter) A.E.Hoffm. & Helmut Walter
• Neochilenia transitensis (F.Ritter) Backeb.
• Neoporteria curvispina var. transitensis (F.Ritter) Donald & G.D.Rowley
• Neoporteria transitensis (F.Ritter) Ferryman
• Neoporteria vallenarensis var. transitensis (F.Ritter) A.E.Hoffm.
• Pyrrhocactus transitensis F.Ritter

Description: Eriosyce kunzeiSN|2621]]SN|2613]], (syn: Eriosyce eriosyzoidesSN|2613]]SN|2621]]), is a spherical to columnar, perennial cactus up to 20 cm tall and 14 cm in diameter. Long, thin, yellow or grey spines curved upwards and inward completely encircle a green stem. Plants are usually solitary. During spring or autumn the crown produces broadly funnelform flowers up to 3-5 cm long, ivory white, with a reddish mid-strip, and open only at the tips. It is also highly variable in appearance. In fact, there are a number of different looking forms, so that only some authorities recognize the different populations as segregate varieties. Two varieties are recognized, the nominate form ( var. kunzei) and var. transitensis.
Derivation of specific name: This member of the Cactaceae family was given this name in honor of the German physician and botanist Gustav Kunze.
Stem: Globose or flattened to cylindrical, 10-20 cm tall, 13-14 cm in diameter. The apex is depressed and often deprived of spines, but spines covering the stems. Epidermis green or blue-green, rarely tan-green to dark violet-green .
Ribs: 13 to 20 cm, about 7 to12 mm tall in adult specimens, 13-17 mm apart, obtuse, enlarged at areoles and tubercled.
Areoles: 5-20 mm apart.
Spines: Strong, stiff and curved upwards and inward, pale yellowish to straw yellow (rarely brownish or blackish) later grey. The var. kunzei is described with very thin, needle-shaped spines but it grows and merges with the thick spined form (var. transitensis). And in cultivation it is possible to find both thick and thin spined specimens.
Central spines: (1-)2-4(-7), thicker, 20-50 mm long with a darker tip.
Radial spines: 10-12(-15) about 13-45 mm long straighter, mostly directed downward, the upper of them are longer than other.
Roots: Fibrous or tuberose.
Flowers: Broadly funnelform, widely opened, up to 3,5 cm long and in diameter. Sepalois tepals ivory white, with a reddish mid-strip; petaloid tepals whitish yellow with a darker reddish mid-line, tips serrated or fringed. Flower tube woolly white with some black bristles. Perikarpell glossy green covered with brownish reddish scales. Stamens whitish, greenish-white or pinkish; anthers creamy white. Style flesh coloured and stigma lobes somewhat brighter.
Fruits: About 2 cm long and 1,5 cm oval, fleshy, hollow, dull-green, tan, to reddish that opens at maturity by a basal pore.
Seeds: 1,25 mm.

Bibliography: Major references and further lectures
1) Fred Kattermann “Eriosyce (Cactaceae): The Genus Revised and Amplified” David Hunt, 1994
2) Urs Eggli, Leonard E. Newton: “Etymological Dictionary of Succulent Plant Names” Springer, Berlin/Heidelberg 2010
3) Christopher Brickell “RHS Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers” Dorling Kindersley Ltd, 01 set 2010
4) Urs Eggli, Leonard E. Newton “Etymological Dictionary of Succulent Plant Names” Birkhäuser 2004

Cultivation and Propagation: It is a summer-growing species. Easy to cultivate but somewhat rot prone if kept in a non-ventilated place. It requires a very fast draining drying soil. Water regularly in summer, but place. It requires a very fast draining drying soil. Water regularly in summer, but do not over-water.
Needs a full sun exposure (or light shade). Good heat tolerance. Hardy to at least -5°C (but it can probably tolerate
-10° C for brief periods)
Propagation: Usually propagated from Seeds. ( It seldom produces offsets)