| Stenocereus stellatus | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Cactaceae |
| Subfamily: | Cactoideae |
| Genus: | Stenocereus |
| Species: | S. stellatus |
| Binomial name | |
| Stenocereus stellatus (Pfeiff.) Riccob. 1909 | |
| Synonyms | |
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Stenocereus stellatus is a flowering plant in the family Cactaceae that is found in Oaxaca, Mexico [2]
Stenocereus stellatus grows tree-shaped or shrub-like with shoots branching from the base and reaches heights of 2 to 4 meters. A short trunk is formed. The dark green to bluish green, upright shoots have a diameter of 7 to 10 centimeters. There are eight to twelve blunt, rounded ribs divided into cusps that are up to 2 centimeters high. The usually three gray central spines are 2 to 6 centimeters long. One of them is directed downwards, the others upwards. The seven to nine radiating gray marginal spines have a darker tip. They are shorter than the central spines.
The tubular to narrow bell-shaped, light pink flowers appear near the top of the shoot and open at night. They are 4.5 to 9 centimeters long. The spherical, green or red fruits reach a diameter of 5 to 6 centimeters. The pulp is red, white, orange, yellow, or purple with black seeds. [3]
Stenocereus stellatus is widespread in the Mexican states of Guerrero, Morelos, Puebla and Oaxaca at altitudes of 500 to 2,200 meters growing in limestone and sandstone soils in thorn-scrub and tropical dry forests. Plants grow along with Ceiba aesculifolia , Parkinsonia praecox , Ipomoea arborescens , Ipomoea murucoides , Fouquieria formosa , Neltuma laevigata , Lippia origanoides , Lophocereus marginatus , Myrtillocactus geometrizans , Myrtillocactus schenckii , Polaskia chichipe , Polaskia chende , Stenocereus pruinosus , Escontria chiotilla , Pachycereus weberi , Lemaireocereus hollianus , Isolatocereus dumortieri , and Stenocereus treleasei . Plants are pollinated by bats such as Leptonycteris yerbabuenae , L. nivalis , Choeronycteris mexicana , Glossophaga soricina , and Artibeus jamaicensis ; bees such as Xylocopa mexicanorum , Bombus pensylvanicus , and Plebeia mexicana ; and hummingbirds such as Amazilia violiceps , Phaeoptila sordida , and Cynanthus latirostris . [4]
The first description as Cereus stellatus was made in 1836 by Ludwig Karl Georg Pfeiffer. [5] The specific epithet stellatus comes from Latin, means 'star-shaped' and refers to the arrangement of the thorns on the areoles of the species. Spanish common names are “Pitayo” and “Xoconostle”. Vincenzo Riccobono placed the species in the genus Stenocereus in 1909. [6] Other nomenclature synonyms are Lemaireocereus stellatus (Pfeiff.) Britton & Rose (1909), Neolemaireocereus stellatus (Pfeiff.) Backeb. (1942) and Rathbunia stellata (Pfeiff.) P.V.Heath (1992).
Stenocereus is a genus of columnar or tree-like cacti from the Baja California Peninsula and other parts of Mexico, Arizona in the United States, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Venezuela and the West Indies. The genus has been enlarged by the addition of species from several other genera. A close relative is the peculiar chinoa or chende cactus, Polaskia chende.
Polaskia is a genus of tree-like cacti reaching 4–5 m high, comprising 2 species. Both present primitive characteristics, but Polaskia chichipe is nearer to Myrtillocactus while Polaskia chende is nearer to Stenocereus. The genus is found in the Mexican states of Puebla and Oaxaca.
Isolatocereus is a monotypic genus of flowering plant in the family Cactaceae. The only species is Isolatocereus dumortieri that is found in Mexico.
Stenocereus alamosensis is a species of cactus native to Mexico.
Stenocereus griseus, also known as the Mexican organ pipe, dagger cactus, pitaya, and pitayo de mayo, is a species of cactus.
Stenocereus queretaroensis is a species of cactus from Mexico, including the state of Querétaro. It is cultivated for its fruit.
Cochemiea conoidea, common name Texas cone cactus or Chihuahuan beehive, is a species of cactus native to southern United States to central Mexico.
Stenocereus pruinosus is a species of cactus. It is endemic to Mexico and occurs in the states of Veracruz, Puebla, and Oaxaca.
Stenocereus gummosus is a flowering plant in the family Cactaceae that is found in Baja California, Mexico at elevations of 9 to 134 meters
Stenocereus montanus, known as sahuira, is a species of columnar cactus in the family Cactaceae.
Stenocereus heptagonus is a species of cactus.
Stenocereus martinezii is a species of flowering plant in the family Cactaceae, native to Sinaloa in Mexico. A candelabriform cactus typically 5 to 7 m tall, it is easy to propagate from cuttings, so local people use it to build live fences.
Pachycereus weberi is a columnar cactus plant native to Mexico.
Stenocereus treleasei, commonly known as tunillo, is a species of flowering plant in the family Cactaceae, native to Oaxaca in Mexico.
Stenocereus fricii is a species of cactus in the genus Stenocereus, endemic to Mexico.
Stenocereus chacalapensis is a species of cactus in the genus Stenocereus, endemic to Mexico.
Stenocereus chrysocarpus is a species of cactus in the genus Stenocereus, endemic to Mexico.
Stenocereus humilis is a species of cactus in the genus Stenocereus, endemic to Mexico.
Stenocereus quevedonis is a species of cactus in the genus Stenocereus, endemic to Mexico.
Stenocereus standleyi is a species of cactus in the genus Stenocereus, endemic to Mexico.
Media related to Stenocereus stellatus at Wikimedia Commons
Data related to Stenocereus stellatus at Wikispecies