Cleistocactus

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Cleistocactus
Silver torch cactus, Cleistocactus strausii
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Caryophyllales Family: Cactaceae Subfamily: Cactoideae Tribe: Trichocereeae Genus: Cleistocactus Lem.
Species
49 species, including: Cleistocactus baumannii Cleistocactus candelilla Cleistocactus dependens Cleistocactus fieldianus Cleistocactus hildegardiae Cleistocactus hyalacanthus Cleistocactus icosagonus Cleistocactus parapetiensis Cleistocactus reae Cleistocactus samaipatanus Cleistocactus sepium Cleistocactus serpens Cleistocactus sextonianus Cleistocactus smaragdiflorus Cleistocastus strausii Cleistocactus tarijensis Cleistocactus tominensis Cleistocactus winteri

Cleistocactus is a genus of columnar cacti from Peru, Uruguay, Bolivia and Argentina. The name comes from the Greek kleistos meaning closed because the flowers hardly open.

The stems are tall and mostly slender and often many branched with numerous ribs with closely set areoles and spines. The flowers are tubular and the tips hardly open with only the style and stamens usually protruding.

[edit] Synonymy

The following genera have been brought into synonymy with this genus:

• Akersia Buining
• Bolivicereus Cárdenas
• Borzicactella H.Johnson ex F.Ritter
• Borzicactus Riccob
• Borzicereus Fric & Kreuz. (orth. var.)
• Cephalocleistocactus F.Ritter
• Cleistocereus Fric & Kreuz. (orth. var.)
• Clistanthocereus Backeb.
• Demnosa Fric
• Gymnanthocereus Backeb.
• Hildewintera F.Ritter
• Loxanthocereus Backeb.
• Maritimocereus Akers
• Pseudoechinocereus Buining (nom. inval.)
• Seticereus Backeb.
• Seticleistocactus Backeb.
• Winteria F.Ritter
• Winterocereus Backeb.

[edit] References

• Innes C, Wall B (1995). Cacti' Succulents and Bromaliads. Cassell & The Royal Horticultural Society.
• The species list is referenced from http://www.cactiguide.com/ which is in turn referenced from several books which are listed on that site. The principal book listed here is The Cactus Family by Edward F. Anderson.