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Stenocereus treleasei
Conservation status
	; Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Cactaceae
Subfamily:	Cactoideae
Genus:	Stenocereus
Species:	S. treleasei
Binomial name
	Stenocereus treleasei; (Vaupel) Backeb.

Stenocereus treleasei, commonly known as tunillo,^[2] is a species of flowering plant in the family Cactaceae, native to Oaxaca in Mexico.^[3]

Description

A shrubby, candelabriform cactus. Individuals can reach 15 m (49 ft) in height, with several branches emerging from a central trunk or base. Branches are dark to bluish green. Areoles are pale and circular, 2 cm (0.79 in) to 2.5 cm (0.98 in) apart, with more than ten radial spines. Spines are 0.4 cm (0.16 in) to 1.3 cm (0.51 in) in length and gray in color.^[4]

Flowers have pink or red tepals, with numerous, yellowish white stamens. Fruits are ellipsoid or spherical 3 cm (1.2 in) to 5 cm (2.0 in) in length, 2.5 cm (0.98 in) to 4 cm (1.6 in) in width, red peel and red, orange, yellow, or purple pulp, and black seeds.^[4]

Fruit

The fruit grown is a type of dragon fruit, and is referred to as pitaya to the locals. Its fruit is edible, giving it economically value for trade in the region. The fruit can be used for medicine giving it more value to the Latin American region.^[2] By being able to grow a fruit makes the species part of the Magnoliophyta phylum and the plant seed group of Angiosperms.

It has mutualistic relation to the lesser long-nosed bat. The bat will migrate down South in Mexico to its region. When food is scarce the bat will eat the fruits produced from columnar cacti, including Stenocereus treleasei. The bat helps pollinate the cacti by having the cacti's pollen stick to the bat's fur when consuming its fruit.^[5]

Research

Researchers in Venezuela analyzed cell anatomy of 22 columnar cacti species, including S. treleasei. They found all tested species had simple epidermis and epidermis cells in S. treleasei were dividing a multistratified epidermis was forming. This made S. treleasei's outermost cells look like papilla. Its abundant divisions in the epidermal cells made it distinguishable from most cacti.

Being distributed in the Northern Hemisphere its cuticles were found to be thin like many many other cacti with the similar distribution range. With the group of species being studied S. Treleasei was put in a group having more than 7 layers in its hypodermis.^[6]

Through this research scarce silica bodies were found in some of the species from the group being researched. Some to name that had scarce silica bodies were Stenocereus beneckei and Stenocereus kerberi. Species with silica bodies not being observed was probably due to the claims of Arthur C. Gibson & K.E. Horak of epidermal cells of genus Stenocereus had silica bodies but they were so small they were hardly visible. Although no silica bodies were observed in S. treleasei the finding of silica bodies helped pursue more research of Stenocerus silica bodies size and variation.^{[citation needed]}

Range

Distributed in the Mexican state of Oaxaca.^[4]^[3]

Habitat

A species characteristic of the Central Valleys of Oaxaca. Found at elevations between approximately 1,200 metres (3,900 ft) and 2,000 metres (6,600 ft). It forms part of the thorn-scrub and tropical dry forests in valleys and slopes in soils derived from volcanic rocks and limestones. In some areas, S. treleasei becomes the dominant component in the plant associations called pitayeras or tunillales by local people. There, it is commonly associated with several species of Bursera, Ceiba aesculifolia, Vachellia cochlyacantha, Vachellia acatlensis, Mimosa spp., Senna spp., Parkinsonia praecox, Ipomoea arborescens, Ipomoea murucoides, Agave americana, Agave potatorum, Agave karwinski, and several species of columnar cacti such as Lophocereus marginatus, Myrtillocactus geometrizans, and Myrtillocactus schenckii, among others.^[4]

Habitat near Mitla, Oaxaca
Plant growing near Tlacolula De Matamoros, Oaxaca
Plant growing outside Teotongo, Oaxaca

References

^ Arias, S.; Zavala-Hurtado, A. (2017) [amended version of 2013 assessment]. "Stenocereus treleasei". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T152818A121611468. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T152818A121611468.en.
^ ^a ^b Feinman, Gary M.; Nicholas, Linda M.; Haines, Helen R. (2002). "Houses on a Hill: Classic Period Life at El Palmillo, Oaxaca, Mexico". Latin American Antiquity. 13 (3): 251–277. doi:10.2307/972111. ISSN 1045-6635. JSTOR 972111.
^ ^a ^b "Stenocereus treleasei". iNaturalist. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Alvarado-Sizzo, H.; Casas, A. (2022). "Stenocereus (A. Berger) Riccob. Stenocereus alamosensis (J.M. Coult.) A.C. Gibson and K.E. Horak Stenocereus beneckei (Ehrenb.) A. Berger and Buxb. Stenocereus chacalapensis (Bravo & T. MacDoug.) Buxb. Stenocereus chrysocarpus Sánchez-Mej. Stenocereus dumortieri (Scheidw.) Buxb. Stenocereus fricii Sánchez-Mej. Stenocereus griseus (Haw.) Buxb. Stenocereus gummosus (Engelm.) A. Gibson and K.E. Horak Stenocereus heptagonus (L.) Mottram Stenocereus huastecorum Alvarado-Sizzo, Arreola-Nava y Terrazas Stenocereus laevigatus (Salm-Dyck) Buxb. Stenocereus littoralis (K. Brandegee) L.W. Lenz Stenocereus martinezii (J.G. Ortega) Buxb. Stenocereus montanus (Britton & Rose) Buxb. Stenocereus pruinosus (Otto ex Pfeiff.) Buxb. Stenocereus queretaroensis (F.A.C. Weber ex Mathes.) Buxb. Stenocereus quevedonis (J. G. Ortega) Buxb. Stenocereus standleyi (J.G. Ortega) Buxb. Stenocereus stellatus (Pfeiff.) Riccob. Stenocereus thurberi (Engelm.) Buxb. Stenocereus treleasei (Rose) Backeb. CACTACEAE". In Casas, A.; Blancas Vázquez, J.J. (eds.). Ethnobotany of the Mountain Regions of Mexico. Ethnobotany of Mountain Regions. Cham.: Springer. pp. 1–45. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-77089-5_52-1. ISBN 978-3-319-77089-5.
^ Rojas-Martínez, Alberto; Godínez-Álvarez, Héctor; Valiente-Banuet, Alfonso; Arizmendi, Ma del Coro; Acevedo, Otilio Sandoval (2012-12-30). "Frugivory diet of the lesser long-nosed bat (Leptonycteris yerbabuenae), in the Tehuacán Valley of Central Mexico". THERYA. 3 (3): 371–380. doi:10.12933/therya-12-94. ISSN 2007-3364.
^ Terrazas, Teresa; Loza-Cornejo, Sofía; Arreola-Nava, Hilda J. (2005). "Anatomía caulinar de las especies del género Stenocereus (Cactaceae)". Acta Botánica Venezuelica (in Spanish). 28 (2): 321–336. ISSN 0084-5906.