Echeveria alpina Walther, 1935

Type : Heilprin & Baker, Mt. Ixtaccihuatl, 14'200 feet, Estado de Mexico, Mexico.

First Description by Walther in Cactus and Succulent Journal US 7:70. 1935 :

Acaulescent,  caespitose.

Leaves numerous, thinnish, oblong-spatulate, to 7,3 cm long, 3 cm wide, truncate, mucronate, glaucous, margin not reddish.

Flowering stem to 12 cm tall, erect, bracts few, broad, obovate-cuneate, to 15 mm long, raceme simple, with 10 or more flowers, pedicels 3 - 5 (-9) mm long.

Flowers : Sepals subequal, patent, 7 - 9 (-10) mm long, corolla 15 mm long, 9 mm in diameter at base, reddish-orange, glaucous, petals erect.

Note :

1. The name E. alpina belongs to the holotype sheet PH 01031608 from which Walther made his description, published it 1935, however the description is mostly an invention. The second description in the book, published 1972, stated to be made from plants of much lower altitudes, is of no relevance in two respects : 1. due to a mix of labels it was made from an unknown plant of unknown origin and 2. it is invalid anyway as Walther nowhere indicated that it was meant to replace the first description. 

2. E. alpina may not be in cultivation. Plants labelled as E. alpina are misidentified throughout. Also the ISI 418 offering was completely misidentified.

3. For more details see p.114-116 in Revision of Walther's monograph Echeveria, 1972.