Pilosocereus
From M&J Cactus Wiki
| Pilosocereus | |
|---|---|
| File:Pilosocereus leucocephalus.jpg | |
| Kingdom | Plantae |
| Family | Cactaceae |
| Subfamily | Cactoideae |
| Tribe | Cereeae |
| SubTribe | |
| Genus | Pilosocereus |
| Species | |
| Notes | Taxonomy follows Joël Lodé (2015) with additional morphological and molecular insights from Zappi (1994), Machado et al. (2006), and Bàrcenas et al. (2011). |
Etymology
The name means "hairy Cereus", referring to the abundant pilosity of the pseudocephalium characteristic of many species.
Description
Pilosocereus is a genus of columnar, shrubby to tree-like cacti, often forming candelabra-like structures and reaching up to 10 m in height.
- Habit: Columnar, often strongly branched; stems with mucilage.
- Epidermis: Smooth, grey-green to bluish, often glaucous.
- Ribs: 3–30, straight, often with a transverse groove below the areoles.
- Areoles: Felted; strongly woolly in reproductive zones, sometimes forming pseudocephalia.
- Spines: Variable; usually straight, acicular, sometimes translucent.
- Flowers: Nocturnal, tubular to campanulate, white to pink; self-sterile.
- Pollination: Primarily chiropterophilous (bats), but also by moths, bees, hummingbirds and other birds.
- Fruits: Globose to flattened, thick-walled; irregularly dehiscent; pulp white to pink or purple.
- Seeds: Shiny, dark brown to black, striate, broadly ovate to spoon-shaped.
Habitat
Wide ecological amplitude:
- dry forests, thorn scrub, tropical valleys and mountainous regions
- rocky, sandy, limestone, sandstone, granitic and quartz substrates
- caatinga and campo rupestre ecosystems in Brazil
Altitude range: sea level to approximately 1900 m.
Distribution
Very widely distributed:
- Caribbean islands
- Central America
- South America (especially Brazil)
- Mexico
- southern United States (Florida)
Countries include: Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, Paraguay, USA, and many Caribbean nations.
Taxonomy
The genus has a complex taxonomic history.
- Pilocereus (Lemaire, 1839) is illegitimate due to typification issues with Cephalocereus senilis
- Pilosocereus was established by Byles & Rowley (1957) with P. leucocephalus as type species
Key insights:
- Zappi (1994): major morphological revision of Brazilian taxa
- Machado et al. (2006): suggested polyphyly among related genera
- Bàrcenas et al. (2011): recovered a monophyletic Pilosocereus (limited sampling)
The genus is currently accepted, but further molecular work is needed.
Species
Following Joël Lodé (2015), including recognized subspecies.
- Pilosocereus albisummus
- Pilosocereus alensis
- Pilosocereus arrabidae
- Pilosocereus aureispinus
- Pilosocereus aurisetus
- Pilosocereus azulensis
- Pilosocereus bohlei
- Pilosocereus brasiliensis
- Pilosocereus catingicola
- Pilosocereus chrysacanthus
- Pilosocereus chrysostele
- Pilosocereus collinsii
- Pilosocereus densiareolatus
- Pilosocereus densivillosus
- Pilosocereus diersianus
- Pilosocereus estevesii
- Pilosocereus flavipulvinatus
- Pilosocereus flexibilispinus
- Pilosocereus floccosus
- Pilosocereus frewenii
- Pilosocereus fulvilanatus
- Pilosocereus glaucochrous
- Pilosocereus goianus
- Pilosocereus gounellei
- Pilosocereus hermii
- Pilosocereus jauruensis
- Pilosocereus lanuginosus
- Pilosocereus leucocephalus
- Pilosocereus lindanus
- Pilosocereus machrisii
- Pilosocereus magnificus
- Pilosocereus mollispinus
- Pilosocereus multicostatus
- Pilosocereus occultiflorus
- Pilosocereus oligolepis
- Pilosocereus pachycladus
- Pilosocereus panchesiorum
- Pilosocereus parvus
- Pilosocereus pentaedrophorus
- Pilosocereus piauhyensis
- Pilosocereus polygonus
- Pilosocereus pseudosuperfloccosus
- Pilosocereus purpusii
- Pilosocereus pusillibaccatus
- Pilosocereus quadricentralis
- Pilosocereus rizzoanus
- Pilosocereus royenii
- Pilosocereus splendidus
- Pilosocereus tillianus
- Pilosocereus tuberculatus
- Pilosocereus tuberculosus
- Pilosocereus ulei
- Pilosocereus vilaboensis
Notes
- One of the most widely distributed cactus genera.
- High ecological adaptability across tropical and subtropical regions.
- Pollination syndromes are diverse (bats, insects, birds).
- Some subgeneric groups (e.g. Gounellea) may be taxonomically separated in the future.
- Seed morphology and juvenile traits may help resolve taxonomic uncertainties.
