Cereus mortensenii

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Cereus mortensenii
Cereus mortensenii.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Cactaceae
Subfamily: Cactoideae
Genus: Cereus
Species:
C. mortensenii
Binomial name
Cereus mortensenii
(Croizat) D.R.Hunt & N.P.Taylor [1]
Synonyms
  • Pseudopilosocereus mortensenii
  • Pilosocereus mortensenii
  • Pilosocereus gruberi

Cereus mortensenii is a species of plant found in seasonally dry areas of Venezuela. It is the only Cereus species that developes a cephalium.

Contents

Description

Cereus mortensenii is a species of treelike cactus that is very branched and reaches heights of up to 8 metres (26 ft). The stems are hexagonal and although initially bluish, as they age, they become blue-greenish. They have a diameter of up to 8 centimetres (3.1 in) and have up to nine ribs.

The wooly areoles have 1 to 2 strong central spines of yellowish to gray color and reach a length of 3 to 4 cm. There are also 5 to 7 thin and pointed marginal spines of brown to gray and measure 1 to 1.5 cm long. Mature plants form a thick pseudocephalium

The flowers are creamy white and nocturnal. They measure up to 6 cm long and up to 3.5 cm in diameter. The fruits are spherical and depressed, and are characterized by having adhered flowering remains. [2]

Taxonomy

This plant is sometimes placed in the genus Pilosocereus because of its cephalium.

Etymology

This plant is named for Russell H. Mortensen who helped with the discovery and collection of this species [3]

References

  1. "Cereus mortensenii (L.) Mill. | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 2025-03-31.
  2. "Cereus mortensenii". desert-tropicals.com.
  3. "Cereus mortensenii". Dictionary of 🌵 Cactus Names. 2021-06-02. Retrieved 2025-05-21.