Cereus hexagonus or lady of the night cactus is a species of columnar cactus found in Ecuador and Venezuela.[2]
Description
Cereus hexagonus grows like a tree with erect shoots that branch out from near the base and can reach heights of growth of up to 15 metres. The cylindrical, segmented, glaucous light green shoots have a diameter of up to 12 centimeters and more. There are four to seven thin, wavy ribs that are 3 to 5 centimeters high. The areoles on it are small. The thorns are missing on young shoots or there are only a few. Older shoots have 8 to 10 or more unequal spines per areole. The initially brown thorns become lighter later. They are 5 to 6 centimeters long.
The white flowers are 20 to 25 centimeters long. The 5.5 to 13 centimeters long, egg-shaped fruits are light red. They contain white or pink flesh.
The species is classified as Least Concern (LC) in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.[1]
Taxonomy
The first description as Cactus hexagonus was published in 1753 by Linnaeus in his work Species Plantarum.[3] Philip Miller placed the species in the genus Cereus in 1768.
^Linné, Carl von; Salvius, Lars (1753). Caroli Linnaei ... Species plantarum :exhibentes plantas rite cognitas, ad genera relatas, cum differentiis specificis, nominibus trivialibus, synonymis selectis, locis natalibus, secundum systema sexuale digestas... Holmiae: Impensis Laurentii Salvii. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.669.
