Trees or shrubs, erect to ascending or reclining, usually branched in basal portion, older plants with closely parallel, erect branches forming narrow crown; trunk absent or present, 8-12+ cm diam. Roots diffuse. Stems unsegmented, green to bluish or blue-green, columnar, [0.5-]3-10 m × [2.8-]5-8 cm, glabrous; ribs 3-30, low, rounded, furrows straight [or wavy], rib crests sometimes notched between areoles [ribs strongly tuberculate in 1 Brazilian species]; areoles usually closely spaced along ribs [often confluent in flowering region], circular to elliptic, woolly; hairs usually white or tawny [to blackish] soft, to 8[-50] mm, longest on flower-producing areoles along each rib or on one side of stem in distal region; areolar glands not apparent; cortex and pith extremely mucilaginous. Spines 6-31 per areole, yellow [to brown or black], often aging gray, acicular, straight, terete, [2-]10-15(-25)[-40] × 0.25 mm, smooth; radial and central spines not distinguishable. Flowers nocturnal or crepuscular, lateral to subterminal on stems, from closely adjacent or confluent areoles, funnelform to narrowly campanulate, [2.5-]5-6[-9] × 2-5[-7] cm; flower tube straight or slightly curved; outer tepals greenish [blue, red, or purplish], margins entire or minutely denticulate; inner tepals white [pinkish to reddish], 9-26 × 7.5 mm, margins entire; ovary smooth, scales absent (or 1-2), spines absent; stigma lobes usually 8-12. Fruits dehiscent along 1 side or apparently indehiscent, red or purple [to blue-green], [spheric or] depressed-spheric [to ovoid or oblong], 20-45 × 30-50 mm, fleshy, scales and spines absent (rarely 1-2 scales); pulp color variable; floral remnant usually persistent. Seeds black or dark brown, snail-shaped, 1.2-2.6 mm, smooth, shiny; testa cells flat. x = 11. Shrubs or small trees, with erect, columnar branches; stems cylindrical, with 10-12 longitudinal ribs; areoles along margins of ribs, usually with long white woolly hairs, surrounded by clusters of spines and lacking glochids. Leaves wanting. Flowers solitary, sessile and bell- to funnel-shaped, with long hypanthium; outer perianth segments scale-like; inner segments petaloid; stamens numerous, inserted on hypanthium; ovary medial, the style stout. Fruit depressed-globose, with numerous exarillate, black seeds. A genus of approximately 50 species, distributed from Mexico to northern Peru and central Brazil, including the West Indies. SELECTED REFERENCES Austin, D. F. 1984. Resumé of the Florida taxa of Cereus (Cactaceae). Florida Sci. 47: 65-68. Hennessey, M. K. and D. H. Habeck. 1994. Observations on reproduction of an endangered cactus, Cereus robinii (Lemaire) L. Benson. Florida Sci. 57: 93-101. Lima, A. N. and R. M. Adams. 1996. The distribution and abundance of Pilosocereus robinii (Lemaire) Byles and Rowley in the Florida Keys. Bradleya 14: 57-62. Zappi, D. C. 1994. Pilosocereus (Cactaceae): The Genus in Brazil. Sherborne. A genus of approximately 50 species, distributed from Mexico to northern Peru and central Brazil, including the West Indies. Shrubs or small trees, with erect, columnar branches; stems cylindrical, with 10-12 longitudinal ribs; areoles along margins of ribs, usually with long white woolly hairs, surrounded by clusters of spines and lacking glochids. Leaves wanting. Flowers solitary, sessile and bell- to funnel-shaped, with long hypanthium; outer perianth segments scale-like; inner segments petaloid; stamens numerous, inserted on hypanthium; ovary medial, the style stout. Fruit depressed-globose, with numerous exarillate, black seeds. SELECTED REFERENCES Austin, D. F. 1984. Resumé of the Florida taxa of Cereus (Cactaceae). Florida Sci. 47: 65-68. Hennessey, M. K. and D. H. Habeck. 1994. Observations on reproduction of an endangered cactus, Cereus robinii (Lemaire) L. Benson. Florida Sci. 57: 93-101. Lima, A. N. and R. M. Adams. 1996. The distribution and abundance of Pilosocereus robinii (Lemaire) Byles and Rowley in the Florida Keys. Bradleya 14: 57-62. Zappi, D. C. 1994. Pilosocereus (Cactaceae): The Genus in Brazil. Sherborne. Trees or shrubs, erect to ascending or reclining, usually branched in basal portion, older plants with closely parallel, erect branches forming narrow crown; trunk absent or present, 8-12+ cm diam. Roots diffuse. Stems unsegmented, green to bluish or blue-green, columnar, [0.5-]3-10 m × [2.8-]5-8 cm, glabrous; ribs 3-30, low, rounded, furrows straight [or wavy], rib crests sometimes notched between areoles [ribs strongly tuberculate in 1 Brazilian species]; areoles usually closely spaced along ribs [often confluent in flowering region], circular to elliptic, woolly; hairs usually white or tawny [to blackish] soft, to 8[-50] mm, longest on flower-producing areoles along each rib or on one side of stem in distal region; areolar glands not apparent; cortex and pith extremely mucilaginous. Spines 6-31 per areole, yellow [to brown or black], often aging gray, acicular, straight, terete, [2-]10-15(-25)[-40] × 0.25 mm, smooth; radial and central spines not distinguishable. Flowers nocturnal or crepuscular, lateral to subterminal on stems, from closely adjacent or confluent areoles, funnelform to narrowly campanulate, [2.5-]5-6[-9] × 2-5[-7] cm; flower tube straight or slightly curved; outer tepals greenish [blue, red, or purplish], margins entire or minutely denticulate; inner tepals white [pinkish to reddish], 9-26 × 7.5 mm, margins entire; ovary smooth, scales absent (or 1-2), spines absent; stigma lobes usually 8-12. Fruits dehiscent along 1 side or apparently indehiscent, red or purple [to blue-green], [spheric or] depressed-spheric [to ovoid or oblong], 20-45 × 30-50 mm, fleshy, scales and spines absent (rarely 1-2 scales); pulp color variable; floral remnant usually persistent. Seeds black or dark brown, snail-shaped, 1.2-2.6 mm, smooth, shiny; testa cells flat. x = 11.General Information
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Source: [
Distribution
Source: [
Literature
Source: [
Memoirs of the New York Botanical Garden
DistributionFlora of North America @ efloras.org
Literature
| Name | Language | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tree cactus [Latin pilosus, shaggy, and Cereus, a genus of cacti] |
|
