''Arthrocereus'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

cactus A cactus (: cacti, cactuses, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae (), a family of the order Caryophyllales comprising about 127 genera with some 1,750 known species. The word ''cactus'' derives, through Latin, ...

, native to southeast and west-central

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

Description

The relatively small, bushy, erect or prostrate species of the genus ''Arthrocereus'' are branched or unbranched. The articulated, cylindrical shoots have 10 to 18 low and narrow ribs on which small areoles sit from which many thin thorns emerge. The elongated, bell-shaped, wide-opening flowers appear near the shoot tip and open at night. The flower cup and the flower tube are covered with wool, hair-like thorns and a few pointed scales. The spherical to obversely pear-shaped fruits are green and have white flesh. They are thin-walled, non-tearing, and have scales and hair-like spines. The slanting egg-shaped seeds are black.

Species

Species in the genus include:

References

External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q135614 Cacti of South America Endemic flora of Brazil Cereeae genera Taxa named by Alwin Berger