''Leucostele atacamensis'' (cardón) is a species of

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, ...

from

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

and

Bolivia Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, including vast Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, the Gran Chaco Province, w ...

. The wood of this species can be used in building and in making furniture., pp. 257–258

Description

''Leucostele atacamensis'' has a tall columnar habit, sometimes forming branches in a candelabra shape and becoming treelike. It grows to about high, with stems to across. The stems have 20-30 ribs and

areole In botany, areoles are small light- to dark-colored bumps on cactus, cacti out of which grow clusters of Thorns, spines, and prickles, spines. Areoles are important diagnostic features of cactus, cacti, and identify them as a family distinct fr ...

s have a diameter of up to 2 centimeters and become larger with age with 50-100 maroon coloured spines, the longest up to long. In younger plants, the yellowish to honey-colored thorns are strongly needle-like and up to 10 centimeters (rarely up to 15 centimeters) long. The two to four (rarely up to eight) central spines cannot always be clearly distinguished from the peripheral spines. The rose-white flowers are long, open day and night, borne on the sides of the stems. The dark green fruits are densely covered with hairs, up to long; they are edible. File:Cardon Fleurs cropped.jpg, Flowering stem File:Echinopsis atacamensis near Tilcara, Argentina 02.jpg, Very large specimen near Tilcara, Argentina File:Echinopsis atacamensis inside.jpg, The inside structure: the internal bambus wood can easily be seen. File:Echinopsis (Atacamensis) At Kew Gardens (3998353774).jpg, Spines

Subspecies

There are two recognized subspecies.

Distribution

''Leucostele atacamensis'' is widespread in the northeast of

the regions of

Antofagasta Antofagasta () is a port city in northern Chile, about north of Santiago. It is the capital of Antofagasta Province and Antofagasta Region. According to the 2015 census, the city has a population of 402,669. Once claimed by Bolivia follo ...

, Tarapacá,

Arica Arica ( ; ) is a commune and a port city with a population of 222,619 in the Arica Province of northern Chile's Arica y Parinacota Region. It is Chile's northernmost city, being located only south of the border with Peru. The city is the ca ...

and

Parinacota Parinacota (in Hispanicized spelling), Parina Quta or Parinaquta ( Aymara, ''parina'' flamingo, ''quta'' lake, "flamingo lake", other Hispanicized spellings ''Parinaccota, Parinajota'') may refer to: Lakes * Parinaquta (Carabaya), in Peru, Puno ...

; the southwest of

in departments of Oruro,

Potosí Potosí, known as Villa Imperial de Potosí in the colonial period, is the capital city and a municipality of the Potosí Department, Department of Potosí in Bolivia. It is one of the list of highest cities in the world, highest cities in the wo ...

, and

Tarija Tarija or San Bernardo de la Frontera de Tarixa is a city in southern Bolivia. Founded in 1574, Tarija is the largest city and capital and municipality within the Tarija Department, with an airport ( Capitán Oriel Lea Plaza Airport, (TJA)) of ...

; and the north of

in the provinces of Jujuy,

Salta Salta () is the capital and largest city in the Provinces of Argentina, Argentine province of Salta Province, the same name. With a population of 618,375 according to the 2010 census, it is also the List of cities in Argentina, 7th most-populous ...

, Tucumán, Catamarca,

La Rioja La Rioja () is an autonomous communities in Spain, autonomous community and provinces of Spain, province in Spain, in the north of the Iberian Peninsula. Its capital is Logroño. Other List of municipalities in La Rioja, cities and towns in the ...

, and

San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John (disambiguation), Saint John, most commonly refers to: * San Juan, Puerto Rico * San Juan, Argentina * San Juan, Metro Manila, a highly urbanized city in the Philippines San Juan may also refer to: Places Arge ...

at altitudes of 1700 to 3900 meters. File:Echinopsis atacamensis near Tilcara, Argentina 03.jpg, ''Leucostele atacamensis'' ssp. ''pasacana'' growing in habitat near Tilcara, Argentina File:04-Isla Incahuasi-nX-5.jpg, ''Leucostele atacamensis'' growing in habitat in Isla Incahuasi, Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia File:20170809 Bolivia 1524 Uyuni sRGB (37926737236).jpg, ''Leucostele atacamensis'' growing at Uyuni Salt Flat

Systematics

''Leucostele atacamensis'' was first described by Rodolfo Philippi as ''Cereus atacamensis'' in 1860. The specific epithet atacamensis refers to the higher mountain areas in the Atacama region of Chile, where the species is found. It was placed in a number of genera, including ''Trichocereus'' and ''Helianthocereus'', before being moved to ''Echinopsis'' by Helmo Friedrich and Gordon Rowley in 1974. In 2012, Boris O. Schlumpberger reclassified the species into the genus '' Leucostele''.Boris O. Schlumpberger: ''New combinations in the Echinopsis alliance.'' In: ''Cactaceae Systematics Initiatives.'' Nr. 28, 2012, S. 30.

References

External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q147262 atacamensis Cacti of South America Flora of Argentina Flora of Bolivia Flora of northern Chile Atacama Desert Near threatened flora of South America Plants described in 1860