Eriosyce tuberculosa (Cactaceae), a New Species from the Atacama Region, Chile

Eriosyce s.l. is a South American genus in the Cactaceae comprised of 63 taxa as of 2019, naturally distributed in Peru, Chile and Argentina. In September 2024, a new Eriosyce geophyte was discovered in Chile's Atacama Region <redacted>* and is described in this article as Eriosyce tuberculosa. The geophytic cactus plants in the type locality belong to the genus Eriosyce s.l. based on flower, fruit and seed morphology and have significant morphological differences from all other Eriosyce species described previously in the literature. E. tuberculosa forms a morphologically consistent population in a geographically isolated area <redacted>. It is proposed that E. tuberculosa is placed in the small, well defined Clade V (Diaguita) based on its morphological characteristics and geographic proximity to members of this clade. E. tuberculosa qualifies as Critically Endangered (CR) under IUCN Red List Criterion due to its low number of mature individuals and limited distribution and mining activities in the area.