Copiapoa dealbata is a cespitose, greyish-white globular cactus, similar to Copiapoa cinerea but usually with longer spines.
Typically Copiapoa dealbata has only one single spine from the areoles. The form with more spine per arela (up to 7) is known as Copiapoa carrizalensens but the two forms grows side by side and plants with few or more spines grows together in the same population.