Cereus (plant)

''Cereus'' ( "serious") is a genus of cacti (family Cactaceae) including around 33 species of large columnar cacti from South America. The name is derived from Greek (κηρός) and Latin words meaning "wax", "torch" or "candle". ''Cereus'' was one of the first cactus genera to be described; the circumscription varies depending on the authority. The term "cereus" is also sometimes used for a ceroid cactus, any cactus with a very elongated body, including columnar growth cacti and epiphytic cacti.

Description

''Cereus'' are shrubby or treelike, often attaining great heights ('' C. hexagonus, C. lamprospermus, C. trigonodendron ''up to ). Most stems are angled or distinctly ribbed, ribs long, usually well developed and have large areoles, usually bearing spines. Cephalium is not present; '' C. mortensenii'' develops pseudocephalium. The flowers are large, funnelform, long, usually white, sometimes pink, purple, rarely cream, yellow, greenish, and open at night. The fruits are globose to ovoid to oblong, long, fleshy, naked, usually red but sometimes yellow, pulp white, pink or red. The seeds are large, curved ovoid, glossy black.

Taxonomy

The name ''Cereus'' originates in a book by Tabernaemontanus published in 1625 and refers to the candle-like form of species '' C. hexagonus''. It was described by Philip Miller in 1754, and included all known cacti with very elongated bodies.

Ludwig Pfeiffer in 1838 distinguished ''Cephalocereus'' (type ''Cephalocereus senilis''); the name is derived from the Greek κεφᾶλή (cephalē; 'head') thus headed cereus, referring to the hairy pseudocephalium. Charles Lemaire described ''Pilocereus'' in 1839, now renamed as ''Pilosocereus''. The name ''Pilocereus'' is derived from the Greek πῖλος (pilos), felted, hairy, thus hairy cereus, similar to the Latin pilosus, from which the name ''Pilosocereus'' was derived. ''Echinocereus'' (type ''Echinocereus viridiflorus'') was described in 1848 by George Engelmann; the name is derived from the Greek ἐχῖνος (echinos; 'hedgehog' or 'sea urchin').

Nathaniel Lord Britton and Joseph Nelson Rose (1919–1923) as well as Alwin Berger (1929) continued to divide ''Cereus'' into many genera. The 33 or so species that remain in the ''Cereus'' group are largely plants that have not been moved out of the genus rather than plants that have been included because they fit the description of ''Cereus''. This inclusion-by-lack-of-exclusion makes for a very messy and unsatisfactory grouping.

The genus ''Mirabella'' has been included within ''Cereus'' as a subgenus, ''C.'' subg. ''Mirabella''.

Species

, Plants of the World Online accepts the following species (with the exception of '' C. ayisyen''):

Synonyms

Species that have formerly been accepted include:
* ''Cereus adelmarii'', syn. of ''Cereus phatnospermus''
* ''Cereus albicaulis'', syn. of ''Mirabella albicaulis''
* ''Cereus argentinensis'', syn. of ''Cereus stenogonus''
* ''Cereus braunii'', syn. of ''Cereus trigonodendron''
* ''Cereus cochabambensis'', syn. of ''Cereus forbesii''
* ''Cereus comarapanus'', syn. of ''Cereus forbesii''
* ''Cereus estevesii'', syn. of ''Mirabella estevesii''
* ''Cereus hankeanus'', syn. of ''Cereus forbesii''
* ''Cereus huilunchu'', syn. of ''Cereus forbesii''
* ''Cereus kroenleinii'', syn. of ''Cereus phatnospermus''
* ''Cereus mirabella'', syn. of ''Mirabella minensis''
* ''Cereus roseiflorus'', syn. of ''Cereus stenogonus''
* ''Cereus tacuaralensis'', syn. of ''Cereus stenogonus''

Distribution

The range includes Brazil, northern Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Bolivia; more rarely it can be found in Peru, Colombia, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela.

Uses

The fruits and stems of ''C. repandus'' are edible, as is the fruit of many species in the genus; some perhaps have a laxative effect. The wood has been used in making furniture and for firewood, and sliced stems have been used as a soap substitute. The stems can be broken open for its pulp, a source of water. The plant is also cultivated as a living fence.

Gallery

File:Cereus hexagonus00.jpg, Charles Lemaire, ''Iconographie descriptive des cactées'', 1841 – 7.
File:Starr_030202-0036_Cereus_uruguayanus.jpg, ''Cereus hildmannianus'' subsp. ''uruguayanus'' in shrub formation, Uruguay
File:Cereus jamacaru.JPG, High plants of ''Cereus jamacaru''
File:Flor de Mandacaru, Guarujá, São Paulo.jpg, Nocturnal flowers of ''Cereus jamacaru''
File:Cereus-peruvians.jpg, Stems are segmented annually
File:Cereus forbesii - Palmengarten Frankfurt 1.jpg, ''Cereus forbesii''
File:Pitaya in Israel.jpg, Fruits in cultivation
File:Cereus peruvianus fruit RJP 01.jpg, Edible fruits of ''Cereus repandus''
File:044cperuvianus-monstrose.JPG, Different monstrose forms
Cereus neotetragonus (3) 1200.jpg, Flower bud of '' Cereus fernambucensis subsp. ''fernambucensis''

References

Sources

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External links

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Columnar cacti – ''Cereus'' Cactiguide ''Cereus''

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5317148

Cacti of South America
Cactoideae genera
Taxa named by Philip Miller