Strophocactus

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Strophocactus
Strophocactus wittii 4-93 Foto W.Barthlott.jpg
Strophocactus wittii
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Cactaceae
Subfamily: Cactoideae
Tribe: Echinocereeae
Genus: Strophocactus
Britton & Rose [1]
Species

See text.

Synonyms
  • StrophocereusFric & Kreuz.
  • Selenicereus sect. Strophocactus(Britton & Rose) D.R.Hunt

Strophocactus is a genus of cacti in the subfamily Cactoideae. [2] Its status and circumscription remain somewhat uncertain, with the genus containing one to three species (not always the same ones). Molecular phylogenetic data suggest that it consists of three species, including two formerly comprising the genus Pseudoacanthocereus. With this circumscription, the species have different growth habits, but share similarities in their flowers, which are white and open at night.

Contents

Description

As circumscribed by Korotkova et al. in 2017, the three species of Strophocactus have tubular to funnel-shaped flowers with tubercules arranged in ribs and areoles with bristles. The flowers are white and open at night. They are followed by yellow to brown fruits. Two species (S. brasiliensis and S. sicariguensis) are scrambling or decumbent shrubs, with thin stems (up to 4.5 cm across) and tuberous roots. S. sicariguensis sometimes has flattened stem segments. The third species, S. wittii, is an epiphyte with flattened stems that cling to the trunks of trees using aerial roots. [2] [3]

Taxonomy

The genus was erected by Nathaniel L. Britton & Joseph N. Rose in 1913 with only one species, Strophocactus wittii . [1] [4] In 1989, David Hunt reduced Stophocactus to a section of the genus Selenicereus , Selenicereus sect. Strophocactus, [1] so that the species became Selenicereus wittii. In 2003, Ralf Bauer proposed restoring the genus Strophocactus, adding two further species (S. chontalensis and S. testudo). He excluded Stophocactus from the Hylocereeae. [5] Bauer's actions were based on unpublished DNA sequence data. A molecular phylogenetic study of the Hylocereeae in 2017 showed that in neither Hunt's nor Bauer's approach were Strophocactus and Selinicereus monophyletic: [2]

Clade including Selinicereus wittii = Strophocactus wittii

Clade including Strophocactus chontalensis and Strophocactus testudo

Re-circumscribed tribe Hylocereeae, including Selenicereus species

Selenicereus wittii formed a clade with two species then placed in Pseudoacanthocereus: [2]

Neoraimondia herzogiana

Pseudoacanthocereus brasiliensis

Pseudoacanthocereus sicariguensis 

Selenicereus wittii

Strophocactus sensu Korotkova et al. (2017) [2]

Accordingly, the authors followed Bauer in placing Selenicereus wittii back in Strophocactus, but now together with the two former Pseudoacanthocereus species. Like Bauer, they excluded the revised genus Strophocactus from the Hylocereeae, placing it in the tribe Echinocereeae. [2]

Species

According to Korotkova et al. in 2017, the genus has three species: [2]

ImageScientific nameDistribution
Pseudoacanthocereus brasiliensis (Britton & Rose) F. Ritter f. boreominarum (Rizzini & A.Mattos) P.J.Braun & Esteves.JPG Strophocactus brasiliensis (Britton & Rose) S.Arias & N.Korotkova, syn. Pseudoacanthocereus brasiliensis(Britton & Rose) F. RitterBrazil
Strophocactus sicariguensis (Croizat & Tamayo) S.Arias & N.Korotkova, syn. Pseudoacanthocereus sicariguensis(Croizat & Tamayo) N.P.TaylorColombia, Venezuela
Strophocactus wittii 4-93 Foto W.Barthlott.jpg Strophocactus wittii (K.Schumann) Britton & Rose, syn. Selenicereus wittii(K.Schumann) RowleyNorth Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela

Species formerly included in Strophocactus are: [2]

Related Research Articles

<i>Acanthocereus</i> Genus of cacti

Acanthocereus is a genus of cacti. Its species take the form of shrubs with arching or climbing stems up to several meters in height. The generic name is derived from the Greek word άκανθα (acantha), meaning spine, and the Latin word cereus, meaning candle. The genus is native to the mostly tropical Americas from Texas and the southern tip of Florida to the northern part of South America, including islands of the Caribbean.

<i>Disocactus</i> Genus of cacti

Disocactus is a genus of epiphytic cacti in the tribe Hylocereeae found in Central America, the Caribbean and northern South America. It should not be confused with Discocactus, which is a different genus.

<i>Hylocereus</i> Genus of cacti

Hylocereus is a former genus of epiphytic cacti, often referred to as night-blooming cactus. Several species previously placed in the genus have large edible fruits, which are known as pitayas, pitahayas or dragonfruits. In 2017, a molecular phylogenetic study confirmed an earlier finding that the genus Hylocereus was nested within Selenicereus, so all the species of Hylocereus were transferred to Selenicereus.

<i>Selenicereus</i> Genus of cacti

Selenicereus, sometimes known as moonlight cactus, is a genus of epiphytic, lithophytic, and terrestrial cacti, found in Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and northern South America. The term night-blooming cereus is also sometimes used, but this is also used for many night-blooming cacti, including Epiphyllum and Peniocereus. In 2017, the genus Hylocereus was brought into synonymy with Selenicereus. A number of species of Selenicereus produce fruit that is eaten. The fruit, known as pitaya or pitahaya in Spanish or as dragon fruit, may be collected from the wild or the plants may be cultivated.

<i>Pseudorhipsalis</i> Genus of cacti

Pseudorhipsalis is genus of cacti. This genus is often included in Disocactus. It is epiphytic, many branched, and elongated with flattened, serrated cladodes. In its early life, it stands erect, but soon becomes prostrate. It produces numerous flowers.

<i>Weberocereus</i> Genus of cacti

Weberocereus is genus of cacti. It produces a green and white flower and is found mainly in Costa Rica and Nicaragua.

<i>Deamia</i> Genus of flowering plants

Deamia is a genus of cacti. Its species are native from south Mexico through Central America to Nicaragua. Its species have been placed in Selenicereus and Strophocactus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cactoideae</span> Subfamily of the cactus family, Cactaceae

The Cactoideae are the largest subfamily of the cactus family, Cactaceae, and are widely distributed throughout the Americas. Cactaceae is the 5th most endangered plant or animal family evaluated globally by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Around 80% of cactus species belong to this subfamily. The genera of the Cactoideae are characterized by microscopic foliage leaves. All photosynthesis occurs in shoot cortex cells covered by a persistent epidermis and stomata. Another important characteristic of this subfamily is ribbed stems, which enable the inner cortex to expand radially without breaking the shoot surface to absorb large quantities of water.

<i>Selenicereus costaricensis</i> Species of plant

Selenicereus costaricensis, synonym Hylocereus costaricensis, known as the Costa Rican pitahaya or Costa Rica nightblooming cactus, is a cactus species native to Central America and north-eastern South America. The species is grown commercially for its fruit, called pitaya or pitahaya, but is also an impressive ornamental vine with huge flowers. The species may not be distinct from Selenicereus monacanthus.

<i>Aporocactus martianus</i> Species of cactus

Aporocactus martianus is a species of cactus found in Oaxaca, Mexico.

<i>Strophocactus brasiliensis</i> Species of cactus

Strophocactus brasiliensis, synonym Pseudoacanthocereus brasiliensis, is a species of plant in the family Cactaceae. It is endemic to Brazil. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and hot deserts. It is threatened by habitat loss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hylocereeae</span> Tribe of cacti

The Hylocereeae are a tribe of cacti. Most are found in the tropical forests of Central and northern South America, and are climbers or epiphytes, unlike most cacti. The tribe includes between six and eight genera in different circumscriptions. The plants known as "epiphyllum hybrids" or "epiphyllums", widely grown for their flowers, are hybrids of species within this tribe, particularly Disocactus, Pseudorhipsalis and Selenicereus, less often Epiphyllum, in spite of the common name.

<i>Epiphyllum hookeri</i> Species of cactus

Epiphyllum hookeri is a species of climbing cactus in the Epiphyllum genus. It forms showy white flowers and is native from Mexico through Central America to Venezuela. A perennial, it was introduced to Florida and some West Indian islands.

<i>Strophocactus wittii</i> Species of cactus

Strophocactus wittii, synonym Selenicereus wittii, known as the Amazon moonflower, is a species of plant in the genus Strophocactus in the cactus family (Cactaceae), and is one of several species commonly called "moonflowers". It was first described in 1900 and is one of three species of cactus found in the central Amazon basin.

Strophocactus sicariguensis, synonym Pseudoacanthocereus sicariguensis, is a species of plant in the family Cactaceae. It is native to Colombia and Venezuela. It has often sprawling thin stems and white funnel-shaped flowers that open at night.

<i>Kimnachia</i> Genus of cacti

Kimnachia is a monotypic genus of cacti. Its only species is Kimnachia ramulosa, synonym Pseudorhipsalis ramulosa, which is native from southern Mexico to northern South America and also found in Jamaica.

Deamia chontalensis is a species of flowering plant in the family Cactaceae, native to southwestern Mexico and Guatemala. It has sprawling or pendent branched stems and fragrant white flowers.

<i>Deamia testudo</i> Species of flowering plant

Deamia testudo is a species of flowering plant in the family Cactaceae, native from southern Mexico through Central America to Nicaragua. It was first described in 1838. It is a climber or clamberer, with long stems and large white flowers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Echinocereeae</span> Tribe of cacti

The Echinocereeae are a tribe of cacti in the subfamily Cactoideae. Since 2006, the tribe has included the former tribe Pachycereeae in many treatments of cactus classification. The exact circumscription of the tribe has been subject to considerable change, particularly since molecular phylogenetic approaches have been used in determining classifications, and remains uncertain. The tribe includes large treelike species, such as the saguaro, as well as shorter shrubby species. Most members of the tribe are found in desert regions, particularly in Mexico and the southwestern United States.

<i>Epiphyllum chrysocardium</i> Species of plant

Epiphyllum chrysocardium is an epiphytic cactus native to Mexico, commonly called fern leaf cactus, golden heart epiphyllum, shark tooth cactus and shark fin cactus.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Strophocactus Britton & Rose", The International Plant Names Index , retrieved 2021-02-23
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Korotkova, Nadja; Borsch, Thomas & Arias, Salvador (2017), "A phylogenetic framework for the Hylocereeae (Cactaceae) and implications for the circumscription of the genera", Phytotaxa, 327 (1): 1–46, doi:10.11646/phytotaxa.327.1.1
  3. Anderson, Edward F. (2001), "Pseudoacanthocereus", The Cactus Family, Pentland, Oregon: Timber Press, pp. 591–592, ISBN   978-0-88192-498-5
  4. "Strophocactus wittii Britton & Rose", The International Plant Names Index , retrieved 2021-02-23
  5. Bauer, Ralf (2003), "A synopsis of the tribe Hylocereeae F. Buxb.", Cactaceae Systematics Initiatives, 17: 3–63, cited in Korotkova, Borsch & Arias (2017)