''Isolatocereus'' is a

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unisp ...

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 ...

of flowering plant in the family

Cactaceae 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, ...

. The only species is ''Isolatocereus dumortieri'' that is found in Mexico.

Description

''Isolatocereus dumortieri'' is a large, tree-like, and candelabra-shaped cactus, grows to heights of 5–15 meters, with a trunk exceeding 1-1.5 meter in length and about 35 cm in width. It is blue-green, covered with grayish wax. Branches erect, parallel to each other, all almost the same length, curved at the base, with the apex attenuated, up to 10 meters long and 5–15 cm in diameter. The cactus has 5–8 bluntly triangular ribs up to 2 cm high, and its

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 are dark. It features 1–4 yellowish-white central spines up to 5 cm long and 6–9 shorter reddish-brown wool and some short, bristly radial spines that darken over time, reaching 1 cm in length. The scentless tubular flowers grow near the shoot tips and bloom multiple times, sometimes forming small crowns. They are mostly self-incompatible. They open at night and remain open until midday, appearing pale green to white, tubular to funnel-shaped, and 2.5–3.5 cm long. The edible fruits are subglobose to ellipsoid, remain green for some time, then turn orange to red, and measure 2.5–3.5 cm in length. They are covered in small red scales and contain black seeds approximately 1.5 mm in size.Fruits have red pulp, 3 to 4 cm long and 2 to 3.5 cm wide, covered with short podaries arranged in 4 series, with areoles provided with a reduced deltoid basal scab and short emerging felt, with very short spines, dehiscent at its apical part, giving off a pleasant aroma similar to that of jasmine, very juicy, fleshy and sweet when ripeValiente-Banuet A, Casas A, Alcántara A, Dávila P, Flores-Hernández N, Arizmendi M del C, Villaseñor J L, Ramírez J O. 2000. La vegetación del valle de Tehuacán-Cuicatlán. ''Boletín de la Sociedad Botánica de México'' 67:25-74. File:Isolatocereus dumortieri (5739374401).jpg, Top of plant File:Teguise Guatiza - Jardin - Isolatocereus dumortieri 01 ies.jpg, Stem File:Isolatocereus dumortieri (5777094457).jpg, Adult plant File:Isolatocereus dumortieri (2).jpg, Flowers

Distribution

''Isolatocereus dumortieri'' is native to several Mexican states, including Aguascalientes, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Jalisco, México, Michoacán, Morelos, Oaxaca, Puebla, Querétaro, San Luis Potosí, Veracruz, and Zacatecas at elevations between 1100 and 2200 meters. Plants are found in deciduous forest, grasslands growing on slopes or rocky cliffs growing along with ''

Cephalocereus senilis ''Cephalocereus senilis'', the old man cactus, is a species of cactus native to Hidalgo and Veracruz in central Mexico. It is threatened in the wild, but widespread propagation and popularity in cultivation have reduced the demand on wild popula ...

''. The flowers are pollinated animals that feed on the nectar including hummingbirds such as '' Amazilia violiceps'', '' Cynanthus sordidus'', and ''

Cynanthus latirostris The broad-billed hummingbird (''Cynanthus latirostris'') is a small-sized hummingbird that resides in Mexico and the southwestern United States. Males and females have different features (see sexual dimorphism). The juveniles resemble the female ...

''; bat such as ''

Leptonycteris yerbabuenae The lesser long-nosed bat (''Leptonycteris yerbabuenae'') is a medium-sized bat found in Central and North America. It is sometimes known as Sanborn's long-nosed bat or the Mexican long-nosed bat, though the latter name is better avoided since it ...

'', ''

Leptonycteris nivalis The greater long-nosed bat or Mexican long-nosed bat (''Leptonycteris nivalis'') is a species of bat in the family Phyllostomidae. It is found in Mexico and the United States. It chiefly consumes pollen and nectar, particularly from agave plant ...

'', '' Glossophaga soricina'', '' Choeronycteris mexicana'', '' Sturnira lilium parvidens'', and '' Dermanura tolteca''; and bees. The seeds are dispersed by bats and ''

Bassariscus astutus The ringtail (''Bassariscus astutus'') is a mammal of the Procyonidae, raccoon family native to arid regions of North America. It is widely distributed and well-adapted to its distributed areas. It has been legally trapped for its fur. Globally ...

'' which eats the fruits. File:Isolatocereus dumortieri (5739922412).jpg, Habitat in east Guamúchil, Guanajuato File:Isolatocereus dumortieri (5781164571).jpg, Plant growing in habitat in Tequisquiapan, Querétaro File:Isolatocereus dumortieri (5781471930).jpg, Plant growing in Querétaro, Querétaro File:Isolatocereus dumortieri (5777091395).jpg, Plant growing in habitat near Río Venados, Hidalgo

Taxonomy

First described as ''Cereus dumortieri'' by

Michael Joseph François Scheidweiler Michael Joseph François Scheidweiler (1 August 1799 – 24 September 1861) was a German-born professor of botany and taxonomist, whose main area of interest was the Cactaceae. From a collection by Henri Guillaume Galeotti, he first described ' ...

in 1837, the genus name "Isolatocereus" derives from the Italian word isolato (isolated). The species name honors Belgian botanist

Barthélemy Charles Joseph Dumortier Barthélemy Charles Joseph Dumortier (; 3 April 1797 – 9 July 1878) was a Belgians, Belgian who conducted a parallel career of botanist and Member of Parliament and is the first discoverer of biological cell division. Over the course of his lif ...

. It is also known by the common names "Candelabro," "Órgano," and "Pitayo."

Curt Backeberg Curt Backeberg (2 August 1894 in Lüneburg, Germany – 14 January 1966) was a German horticulturist especially known for the collection and classification of cacti. Biography He travelled extensively through Central and South America, and pu ...

established the genus ''Isolatocereus'' in 1942, placing this species within it. ''Isolatocereus'' was split from ''

Stenocereus ''Stenocereus'' () is a genus of columnar or tree-like cactus, 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 en ...

'' into a separate genus (not all authorities had agreed with this as of 2008).

References

Sources

External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from1=Q8178813, from2=Q1559876, from3=Q17395791 Echinocereeae Flora of Mexico Monotypic Cactaceae genera