Pachycereus pringlei
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 Pachycereus pringlei in Baja California, Mexico
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| Pachycereus pringlei (S.Watson) Britton & Rose |
Pachycereus pringlei (Cardón) is a species of cactus, native to northwestern Mexico in the states of Baja California, Baja California Sur, and Sonora.
It is the tallest cactus species in the world, with a maximum recorded height of 19.2 meters (62.9 feet) (Salak 2000), with a stout trunk up to 1 m diameter bearing several erect branches. In overall appearance, it resembles the related Carnegiea gigantea (Saguaro, the second-tallest cactus species), but differs in the fewer ribs on the stems, in being more heavily branched from near to the base of the stem, and in the location of the blossoms.
Large stands of these magnificent cactus still exist, but many have been destroyed as fields have been cleared for cultivation in Sonora.
The fruit of this cactus was an important food for the Seri people in Sonora, who call the cactus xaasj.
The species is named after Cyrus Pringle.
[edit] References
- Felger, Richard; Mary B. Moser. (1985). People of the desert and sea: ethnobotany of the Seri Indians. Tucson: University of Arizona Press.
- Salak, M. (2000). In search of the tallest cactus. Cactus and Succulent Journal 72 (3).
[edit] External links
[edit] Gallery
 Pachycereus pringlei |
 Pachycereus pringlei |
 stand of Pachycereus pringlei |
 Pachycereus pringlei with osprey nest |
 Pachycereus pringlei in blossom |
