Pachycereus
| Pachycereus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Baja California, Mexico | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Core eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Cactaceae |
| Subfamily: | Cactoideae |
| Tribe: | Pachycereeae |
| Genus: | Pachycereus (A.Berger) Britton & Rose |
| Species | |
|
See text | |
Pachycereus is a genus of 9–12 species of large cacti native to Mexico and just into southern Arizona, USA. They form large shrubs or small trees up to 15 m or more tall, with stout stems up to 1 m in diameter.
Pachycereus comes from the ancient Greek pakhus meaning "thick" and the Latin cereus meaning "torch".
- Selected species
- Pachycereus gatesii
- Pachycereus gaumeri
- Pachycereus grandis
- Pachycereus hollianus
- Pachycereus marginatus
- Pachycereus militaris
- Pachycereus pectin-aboriginum
- Pachycereus pringlei - cardón cactus
- Pachycereus schottii - totem cactus, senita cactus
- Pachycereus weberi
P. pringlei is the tallest cactus species in the world, with a maximum recorded height of 19.2 m. [1]
- Synonymy
These genera have been brought into synonymy with Pachycereus:
- Backebergia Bravo
- Lemaireocereus Britton & Rose
- Lophocereus (A.Berger) Britton & Rose
- Marginatocereus (Backeb.) Backeb.
- Mitrocereus (Backeb.) Backeb.
- Pterocereus T.MacDoug. & Miranda
References
- ↑ Salak, M. (2000). In search of the tallest cactus. Cactus and Succulent Journal 72 (3).