Origin and Habitat: Eriosyce odieriSN|2824]]SN|2824]] is endemic to a small area ranging from Caleta Cifuncho (25°39’S-70°36’O), Antofagasta region, to the Copiapó Valley (27°15’S-70°55’O), Atacama Region. (extent of occurrence <10,000 km2), its presence in no more than 10 locations. This species is common in the southern, but rare in the northern portion of its range.
The variety odieri is only found in the habitat of Morro Copiapo (27° 9'S - 70°56'O) an solitary mountain alongside the sea 10 km south of Caldera.
The variety monteamargensis is found in the environment of Monte Amargo (27°21'S - 70°43'O) the old train station, 30 km sud-east of Caldera.
Altitude range: 0 to 500 metres above sea level.
Habitat: This species only occurs in the central northern coastal area of the Atacama desert in big valley and gully, on low costal flats and slopes in stony and very draining soil in areas where very little else grows. It's a very drought tolerant species. Despite the lack of rain where it lives, the extreme aridity is attenuated by the frequent, often dense, coastal fogs. The fog tends to concentrate in the form of a cloud band It shows a recurrent pattern; usually it is overcast in the early mornings, the clouds dissipating during the late morning and returning during the late afternoons. Its seeds are dispersed by wind. This cactus is threatened by collection for ornamental purposes.

• Eriosyce odieri (Lem. ex Salm-Dyck) Katt.
• Chilenia odieri (Lem. ex Salm-Dyck) Backeb.
• Chileorebutia odieri (Salm-Dyck) F.Ritter
• Echinocactus odieri Lem. ex Salm-Dyck
• Hildmannia odieri (Lem. ex Salm-Dyck) Kreuz. & Buining
• Neochilenia odieri (Lem. ex Salm-Dyck) Backeb. ex Dölz
• Neoporteria odieri (Lem. ex Salm-Dyck) Backeb. in Backeb. & F.M.Knuth
• Thelocephala odieri (Lem. ex Salm-Dyck) F.Ritter

• Eriosyce odieri (Lem. ex Salm-Dyck) Katt.
• Chilenia odieri (Lem. ex Salm-Dyck) Backeb.
• Chileorebutia odieri (Salm-Dyck) F.Ritter
• Echinocactus odieri Lem. ex Salm-Dyck
• Hildmannia odieri (Lem. ex Salm-Dyck) Kreuz. & Buining
• Neochilenia odieri (Lem. ex Salm-Dyck) Backeb. ex Dölz
• Neoporteria odieri (Lem. ex Salm-Dyck) Backeb. in Backeb. & F.M.Knuth
• Thelocephala odieri (Lem. ex Salm-Dyck) F.Ritter
• Eriosyce odieri var. araneifera (Donald & G.D.Rowley)
• Neoporteria odieri var. araneifera Donald & G.D.Rowley
• Eriosyce odieri var. atra (Backeb.) nov. comb. ined.
• Neochilenia atra Backeb.
• Eriosyce odieri var. pseudoreichei (Lembcke & Backeb.) nov. comb. ined.
• Neochilenia pseudoreichei Lembcke & Backeb.
• Neoporteria reichei f. pseudoreichei (Lembcke & Backeb.) Donald & G.D.Rowley
• Eriosyce odieri var. reichei (K.Schum.) nov. comb. ined.
• Chilenia reichei (K.Schum.) Backeb.
• Chileorebutia reichei (K.Schum.) F.Ritter
• Echinocactus reichei K.Schum.
• Hildmannia reichei (K.Schum.) Kreuz. & Buining
• Malacocarpus reichei (K.Schum.) Britton & Rose
• Neochilenia reichei (K.Schum.) Backeb. ex Dölz
• Neoporteria reichei (K.Schum.) Backeb.
• Neotanahashia reichei (K.Schum.) Y.Itô
• Notocactus reichei (K.Schum.) A.Berger
• Thelocephala reichei (K.Schum.) F.Ritter
• Eriosyce reichii (K.Schum.)
• Echinocactus reichii K.Schum.
• Neoporteria reichii (K.Schum.) Backeb.

• Eriosyce odieri subs. fulva (F.Ritter) Katt.
• Chileorebutia fulva F.Ritter
• Neochilenia acrocarpa var. fulva E.Y.Dawson
• Neoporteria napina var. fulva (F.Ritter) A.E.Hoffm.
• Thelocephala fulva (F.Ritter) F.Ritter

• Eriosyce odieri subs. glabrescens (F.Ritter) Katt.
• Chileorebutia glabrescens F.Ritter
• Eriosyce napina subs. glabrescens (F.Ritter) Ferryman
• Neoporteria napina f. glabrescens (F.Ritter) Donald & G.D.Rowley
• Thelocephala glabrescens (F.Ritter) F.Ritter
• Eriosyce odieri var. carneoflora (Backeb.) nov. comb. ined.
• Neochilenia carneoflora Kilian in Backeb.
• Neoporteria reichei f. carneoflora Donald & G.D.Rowley

• Eriosyce odieri subs. krausii (F.Ritter) Ferryman
• Chileorebutia krausii F.Ritter
• Eriosyce krausii (F.Ritter) Katt.
• Horridocactus engleri var. krausii Backeb.
• Neochilenia krausii (F.Ritter) Backeb.
• Neoporteria engleri var. krausii (Backeb.) Donald & G.D.Rowley
• Neoporteria odieri var. krausii (F.Ritter) A.E.Hoffm.
• Neoporteria reichei f. krausii (F.Ritter) Donald & G.D.Rowley
• Thelocephala krausii (F.Ritter) F.Ritter
• Chileorebutia malleolata var. solitaria F.Ritter
• Neochilenia malleolata var. solitaria (F.Ritter) Backeb.
• Neoporteria reichei f. solitaria (F.Ritter) Donald & G.D.Rowley
• Thelocephala malleolata var. solitaria (F.Ritter) F.Ritter
• Eriosyce odieri var. malleolata (F.Ritter) A.E.Hoffm. & Helmut Walter
• Chileorebutia malleolata F.Ritter
• Eriosyce odieri subs. malleolata (F.Ritter) A.E.Hoffm. & Helmut Walter
• Neochilenia malleolata (F.Ritter) Backeb.
• Neoporteria esmeraldana var. malleolata (F.Ritter) A.E.Hoffm.
• Neoporteria odieri var. malleolata (F.Ritter) Ferryman
• Neoporteria reichei f. malleolata (F.Ritter) Donald & G.D.Rowley
• Thelocephala malleolata (F.Ritter) F.Ritter
• Neoporteria odieri var. mebbesii (Hildm. ex K.Schum.) Backeb.
• Echinocactus odieri var. mebbesii Hildm. ex K.Schum.
• Echinocactus odieri f. mebbesii (Hildm. ex K.Schum.) Schelle
• Neochilenia odieri var. mebbesii (Hildm. ex K.Schum.) Y.Itô
• Neoporteria napina f. mebbesii (Hildm. ex K.Schum.) Donald & G.D.Rowley
• Thelocephala longirapa F.Ritter
• Neoporteria odieri var. longirapa (F.Ritter) A.E.Hoffm.

• Eriosyce odieri var. monte-amargensis Katt.
• Neochilenia monte-amargensis Backeb.
• Neoporteria monte-amargensis (Backeb.) Donald & G.D.Rowley
• Neoporteria odieri var. monte-amargensis (Backeb.) Ferryman

• Eriosyce odieri var. weisseri A.E.Hoffm. & Helmut Walter
• Thelocephala weisseri (A.E.Hoffm. & Helmut Walter) Faúndez & Saldivia

Description: Eriosyce odieriSN|2824]]SN|2824]] is a greyish-green geophytic cactus that grow flat to the soil or often in time of drought, shrunken back into the ground. Often it acquires a reddish, purplish, brownish or almost blue-black colour due to sun exposure. Two subspecies are recognized, the nominate form and subsp. krausii (F.Ritter) Ferryman. Also included in the synonymy for this species is Thelocephala malleolataSN|2841]]SN|2841]] (F.Ritter) F.Ritter.
Stem: 3-5 cm in diameter, subglobular (flattened in the upper part) often spineless when old.
Ribs: 18-21 almost indistinguishable and tuberculate with the podaria arranged in helical lines. Mamilleae 4-6 mm in diameter.
Areoles: Sunken.
Radial spines: 6-12 approx 2-5mm long, spreading, flattened against the tubercles and pectinate, and not intertwining with those of the other areoles, yellowish, white or pale coffee coloured.
Central spine: Usually absent or 1 short.
Root: Massive tap root.
Flowers: Funnel form at the plant apex, that open during the hours of sun, pericarpel with small scales and wool, floral tube with abundant bristles, tepals pale coloured (whitish, yellow, pinkish or orangish)
Blooming season: It starts flowering when the stem reach 2 to 6 cm in diameter.
Fruits: Covered with rigid bristles in the upper portion. Dispersed by wind.
Remarks: There are several subspecies, variety and forms of this variable taxon, that differentiates for size, number of branches, number of tubercles, number and colour of the spines and for the size and colour of flowers:

Bibliography: Major references and further lectures
1) Faundez, L. & Saldivia, P. 2013. Eriosyce odieri. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013: e.T152695A666993. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T152695A666993.en. Downloaded on 18 February 2016.
2) Fred Kattermann “Eriosyce (Cactaceae): The Genus Revised and Amplified” David Hunt, 1994
3) Hoffmann AE & HE Walter “Cactáceas en la flora silvestre de Chile.”
2nd Edición. Fundación Claudio Gay, Santiago, Chile. 2004
4) KATTERMANN F, JM LÜTHY, RS WALLACE, D HUNT, N TAYLO R & D ZAPPI
“Eriosyce (Cactaceae): The genus revised and mplified.” (1994) Hunt
D & N Taylor (Eds). Succulent Plant Research Volume 1. David Hunt Press. Surrey, England.
5) Edward Anderson “The Cactus family” Timber Press, Incorporated, 2001
6) James Cullen, Sabina G. Knees, H. Suzanne Cubey "The European Garden Flora Flowering Plants: A Manual for the Identification of Plants Cultivated in Europe, Both Out-of-Doors and Under Glass" Cambridge University Press, 11/August /2011
7) David R Hunt; Nigel P Taylor; Graham Charles; International Cactaceae Systematics Group. "The New Cactus Lexicon" dh books, 2006
8) RITTER F “Kakteen in Südamerika” volume 3 Chile. Spangenberg. 1980

Cultivation and Propagation: The eriosyces have a thick taproot and are susceptible to over-watering. Sometimes they are grafted to avoid root rot problems. Suited for sunny-bright exposure; they can tolerate light shade. They like warmth (recommended minimum winter temperature 5° C). But plant kept perfectly dry can easily survive in winter night temperatures below 0° C (In our greenhouse there was no damage at -10° C for a few hours in the winter of 2002-2003 )
They prefer airy exposures. They also need a deep pot and good drainage, to accommodate its tap root. Keep dry in winter.
Pests & diseases: It is especially prone to rot, therefore, underpot in a smaller container filled with a very porous compost.
Propagation: Seeds or graft. Seeds can be sown in the spring or summer. The seedlings should not be disturbed until they are well rooted, after which they can be planted separately in small pots.