Latin austrālis ‘southern’. For the southern distribution compared to the other Copiapoa humilis subspecies accepted by Hoxey (Copiapoa humilis subsp. humilis, Copiapoa humilis subsp. “Guanilos” (= ?), Copiapoa humilis subsp. longispina (= Copiapoa longispina), Copiapoa humilis subsp. tenuissima, Copiapoa humilis subsp. tocopillana, Copiapoa humilis subsp. variispinata). Hoxey: “It is of particular note that this subspecies of C. humilis is the most southerly known at present and it extends the range southward by about 100km from Copiapoa humilis subsp. longispina, previously the most southerly recorded Copiapoa humilis taxon. Hence I have chosen the subspecies epithetaustralis to indicate its southern occurrence.”
Distribution of Copiapoa humilis sensu Hoxey / Image credit: Hoxey 2004
Maarten H.J. van der Meer (2022 Jul 06). Copiapoa australis. Dictionary of Cactus Names. Retrieved from https://www.cactusnames.org/copiapoa-australis