Weberocereus

Weberbauerocereus
File:Weberbauerocereus cuzcoensis.jpg
Kingdom	Plantae
Family	Cactaceae
Subfamily	Cactoideae
Tribe	Cereeae
SubTribe	Trichocereinae
Genus	Weberbauerocereus
Species
Notes	Taxonomy follows Joël Lodé (2015) with reference to Arakaki (2002, 2003, 2008), Schlumpberger (2012), and Hernández-Hernández et al. (2011).

Etymology

Named in honour of August Weberbauer (1871–1948), German botanist and director of the botanical gardens of Lima.

Description

Weberbauerocereus is a genus of shrubby to tree-like columnar cacti from the Andes.

• Habit: Shrubby to arborescent; branching from or near the base; sometimes forming a trunk.
• Stems: Erect or curved; often intermingled.
• Ribs: Numerous (8–25); variable.
• Areoles: Close-set; large; woolly; whitish to grey or yellowish.
• Spines: Numerous radial spines (20–60), setose to acicular; central spines stronger when present.
• Flowers: Nocturnal; remaining open into the morning; self-sterile.
• Flower shape: Tubular to funnel-shaped; often slightly zygomorphic.
• Floral tube: Characteristically curved or S-shaped.
• Flower color: Whitish, brownish, or reddish.
• Floral structures: Pericarpel with scales and hairs.
• Pollination: By bats, hummingbirds, and bees.
• Fruits: Small; yellow-orange to reddish; somewhat hairy; with persistent floral remnants.
• Seeds: Small; numerous; black; glossy.
• Seed dispersal: Mainly by bats (limited efficiency).

Habitat

Occurs in Andean environments:

• high valleys and slopes
• rocky outcrops and mountainous terrain
• north-facing slopes with fog influence
• shrub-dominated landscapes

Altitude range: approximately 540–3500 m.

Distribution

South America:

• Peru (widespread in Andean regions)
• Bolivia (La Paz)

Taxonomy

A genus with clarified placement through molecular studies.

Key points:

• Historically poorly circumscribed; often compared to Cleistocactus
• Morphological similarities (growth form, flowers, seeds) support this relationship
• Molecular studies (Arakaki 2002, 2003): confirm a clade including Weberbauerocereus and Cleistocactus
• Haageocereus shown to be unrelated (sister to Espostoa)
• Close relationship with Yungasocereus and Samaipaticereus
• Included in a broader “Cleistocactus clade” (Schlumpberger 2012)

The genus is accepted as distinct in Lodé (2015).

Species

According to Joël Lodé (2015):

• Weberbauerocereus albus
• Weberbauerocereus cephalomacrostibas
• Weberbauerocereus churinensis
• Weberbauerocereus cuzcoensis
• Weberbauerocereus madidiensis
• Weberbauerocereus rauhii
• Weberbauerocereus torataensis
• Weberbauerocereus weberbaueri
• Weberbauerocereus winterianus

Notes

• Closely related to Cleistocactus but distinct.
• Exhibits mixed pollination strategy (bats and hummingbirds).
• Adapted to high-altitude Andean environments.
• Shows biogeographic link between Peru and Bolivia.
• Part of a larger evolutionary complex including Yungasocereus and Samaipaticereus.