Yungasocereus

Yungasocereus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Cactaceae
Subfamily: Cactoideae
Tribe: Cereeae
Subtribe: Trichocereinae
Genus: Yungasocereus
F.Ritter[3]
Species:
Y. inquisivensis
Binomial name
Yungasocereus inquisivensis
(Cárdenas) F.Ritter[2]
Synonyms[2]
  • Samaipaticereus inquisivensis Cárdenas

Yungasocereus is a monotypic genus of cacti. Its sole species is Yungasocereus inquisivensis, native to Bolivia.[3]

Description

It is a columnar cactus, appearing either as a tree or shrub, ranging up to 4–5 meters in height. The 6–7 cm (2.4–2.8 in) diameter stems are dark green, with 6-10 ribs. The 1.5–3 cm (0.59–1.18 in) spines are in groups of 4-12, with no differentiation into central and radial types, and range from a brownish to grayish color. The flowers are white, appearing in groups of 5-8 near the stem tips. They open day and night and are 5 to 6 cm (2.0 to 2.4 in) long.

The fruits have a length between 2 and 2.8 cm (0.79 and 1.10 in). They contain small, broadly oval, shiny black, slightly keeled seeds on the back, 0.9 mm (0.035 in) long and 0.7 mm (0.028 in) wide.[4]

Taxonomy

Martín Cárdenas described the species in 1957 from Inquisivi, placing it in Samaipaticereus.[5] Friedrich Ritter later found the same species in Yungas. In 1980, he gave the cactus its own genus, Yungasocereus.[6] After a period in Haageocereus, this was again separated into Yungasocereus.

Distribution

This cactus is known only from Yungas and Inquisivi provinces of La Paz Department, where it is found at elevations of around 1000 to 2300 meters.[citation needed]

References

  1. ^ "The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2010-09-22. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
  2. ^ a b "Yungasocereus inquisivensis (Cárdenas) F.Ritter". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  3. ^ a b "Yungasocereus F.Ritter". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  4. ^ Anderson, Edward F.; Eggli, Urs (2005). Das grosse Kakteen-Lexikon (in German). Stuttgart (Hohenheim): Ulmer. p. 646. ISBN 3-8001-4573-1.
  5. ^ "Au Cactus Francophone". Au Cactus Francophone (in French). Retrieved 2023-09-04.
  6. ^ "Au Cactus Francophone". Au Cactus Francophone (in French). Retrieved 2023-09-04.