Authors:
ex Arn. (Acaules). One to a few tufted rosettes from a rather slender, tough and whiskery taproot. Leaves narrowly linear to linearlanceolate, glabrous bright green, 4-14cm long, usually rather laxly arching to prostrate. Flower stalks usually much shorter than the leaves, with two minute bracts at their bases, sometimes also another larger linear bract halfway up. Flowers generally five-petalled but sometimes four or six, usually crystalline white, always with a golden yellow centre, but some have bright rosy margins, or an overall sugary-pink cast. Fine forms have clusters of flaring corollas over 4cm in diameter, filling the rosette like a nosegay. Sepals fleshy, 6-10mm long, ovate and acute. Chile and Argentina. A commonly encountered species from the central cordilleras to the southern lake district, in saturated grassy or bare snowmelt flushes, but subject to baking once dormant; often forming intensive and dominant local colonies at 2000-3500m. Flowering between November and March in the wild. A variable species in overall size, petal shape size and colour, some plants being decidedly inferior horticulturally.
a, C. affinis; b, C. rupestris; c, C. sericea;
