These erect semi-cylindrical leaves of Cotyledon papillaris resemble what used to C. orbiculata var. oophylla of the Richtersveld, now under C. orbiculata var. orbiculata. The red leaf-tips here are short, straight-line ridges.

Narrow finger-like or somewhat cylindrical leaves found on Cotyledon plants also characterise C. barbeyi and a form of C. tomentosa. Leaf-tip differences are among the distinguishing attributes, while intraspecies differences are also common among C. papillaris leaves. Accentuated leaf whiteness comes from the powdery bloom sometimes found upon the leaves of several Cotyledon species.

The species distribution ranges from Namibia through Namaqualand and the succulent Karoo, south-eastwards through the Little Karoo and into the Eastern Cape. This picture was taken near Beaufort West (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2010).