Badmin: Created page with "{{Taxobox | name = Leptocereus | image = Leptocereus_quadricostatus.jpg | kingdom = Plantae | family = Cactaceae | subfamily = Cactoideae | tribe = Phyllocacteae | subtribe = Corryocactinae | genus = '''Leptocereus''' | authority = (Berger) Britton & Rose (1909) | notes = Taxonomy follows Joël Lodé (2015). A primitive genus of shrubby cacti endemic to the Caribbean. }} == Etymology == The name is derived from the Greek ''leptos'' (slender) and the..."

2026-04-08T11:05:21Z

Created page with "{{Taxobox | name = Leptocereus | image = Leptocereus_quadricostatus.jpg | kingdom = Plantae | family = Cactaceae | subfamily = Cactoideae | tribe = Phyllocacteae | subtribe = Corryocactinae | genus = '''Leptocereus''' | authority = (Berger) Britton & Rose (1909) | notes = Taxonomy follows Joël Lodé (2015). A primitive genus of shrubby cacti endemic to the Caribbean. }} == Etymology == The name is derived from the Greek ''leptos'' (slender) and the..."

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{{Taxobox
| name = Leptocereus
| image = Leptocereus_quadricostatus.jpg
| kingdom = [[Plantae]]
| family = [[Cactaceae]]
| subfamily = [[Cactoideae]]
| tribe = [[Phyllocacteae]]
| subtribe = [[Corryocactinae]]
| genus = '''Leptocereus'''
| authority = (Berger) Britton & Rose (1909)
| notes = Taxonomy follows Joël Lodé (2015). A primitive genus of shrubby cacti endemic to the Caribbean.
}}

== Etymology ==
The name is derived from the Greek ''leptos'' (slender) and the Latin ''cereus'' (wax candle), referring to the thin, deeply ribbed stems characteristic of the genus.

== Description ==
'''Leptocereus''' consists of shrubby or tree-like cacti, often with sprawling or semi-erect branches.
* '''Stems''': Thin, cylindrical, and divided into segments. They are characterized by having few but very prominent and thin ribs (usually 3 to 8).
* '''Areoles''': Small, bearing numerous needle-like, often very sharp and stiff spines.
* '''Flowers''': Diurnal or nocturnal (depending on the species), appearing near the apex. They are funnel-shaped to bell-shaped, relatively small, and usually greenish-white, yellowish, or cream-colored. The floral tube is typically covered with spines or bristles.
* '''Fruits''': Globose to ovoid berries, often covered with deciduous spines. They are fleshy and greenish or reddish when ripe.
* '''Seeds''': Small, black, and pitted.

== Habitat ==
The genus grows in dry tropical forests, coastal thickets, and on limestone cliffs (mogotes). They are well-adapted to the hot, maritime climate of the Greater Antilles. Altitudinal range: 0–600 m.

== Distribution ==
* '''Caribbean''': Primarily Cuba (center of diversity), Dominican Republic, Haiti, Puerto Rico, and the British Virgin Islands.

== Species and Subspecies ==
Following the classification of Lodé (2015), the genus includes 15 recognized species and 2 subspecies:

* [[Leptocereus arboreus]]
* [[Leptocereus assurgens]]
* [[Leptocereus carinatus]]
* [[Leptocereus ekmanii]]
* [[Leptocereus grantianus]]
* [[Leptocereus leonii]]
* [[Leptocereus maxonii]]
* [[Leptocereus paniculatus]]
* [[Leptocereus quadricostatus]]
* [[Leptocereus santamarinae]]
* [[Leptocereus scopulophilus]]
* [[Leptocereus sylvestris]]
* [[Leptocereus weisneri]]
* [[Leptocereus wrightii]]
* [[Leptocereus yunckeri]]
** [[Leptocereus yunckeri subsp. guantanamensis]]
** [[Leptocereus yunckeri subsp. yunckeri]]

== Taxonomy ==
Lodé maintains ''Leptocereus'' in the subtribe '''Corryocactinae'''. Molecular studies confirm its isolated and primitive position. It is often considered a "relic" genus, representing an early stage in the radiation of the tribe '''Phyllocacteae''' across the Caribbean islands.

[[Category:Cactaceae]]
[[Category:Cactoideae]]
[[Category:Phyllocacteae]]
[[Category:Corryocactinae]]

Leptocereus - Revision history