Badmin: Created page with "{{Taxobox | name = Lophocereus | image = Lophocereus_schottii.jpg | kingdom = Plantae | family = Cactaceae | subfamily = Cactoideae | tribe = Phyllocacteae | subtribe = Echinocereinae | genus = '''Lophocereus''' | authority = (Berger) Britton & Rose (1909) | notes = Taxonomy follows Joël Lodé (2015). Lodé maintains Lophocereus as a distinct genus, separate from Pachycereus. }} == Etymology == The name is derived from the Greek ''lophos'' (crest or..."

2026-04-08T11:12:15Z

Created page with "{{Taxobox | name = Lophocereus | image = Lophocereus_schottii.jpg | kingdom = Plantae | family = Cactaceae | subfamily = Cactoideae | tribe = Phyllocacteae | subtribe = Echinocereinae | genus = '''Lophocereus''' | authority = (Berger) Britton & Rose (1909) | notes = Taxonomy follows Joël Lodé (2015). Lodé maintains Lophocereus as a distinct genus, separate from Pachycereus. }} == Etymology == The name is derived from the Greek ''lophos'' (crest or..."

New page

{{Taxobox
| name = Lophocereus
| image = Lophocereus_schottii.jpg
| kingdom = [[Plantae]]
| family = [[Cactaceae]]
| subfamily = [[Cactoideae]]
| tribe = [[Phyllocacteae]]
| subtribe = [[Echinocereinae]]
| genus = '''Lophocereus'''
| authority = (Berger) Britton & Rose (1909)
| notes = Taxonomy follows Joël Lodé (2015). Lodé maintains Lophocereus as a distinct genus, separate from Pachycereus.
}}

== Etymology ==
The name is derived from the Greek ''lophos'' (crest or mane) and the Latin ''cereus'' (wax candle), referring to the bristly, mane-like spines produced at the flowering apex of mature stems.

== Description ==
'''Lophocereus''' consists of large, columnar cacti that often form massive, multi-stemmed clumps branching from the base.
* '''Stems''': Erect, grey-green, with 5 to 15 prominent ribs. A unique characteristic of the genus is the dimorphism between vegetative (juvenile) and fertile (adult) stems.
* '''Pseudocephalium''': Upon reaching maturity, the flowering parts of the stems develop a "bristly" appearance. The areoles in this zone produce long, grey, flexible, hair-like bristles instead of the short, stiff spines found on the lower parts of the plant.
* '''Flowers''': Nocturnal, relatively small (2-4 cm), funnel-shaped, and usually pinkish-white or cream. They emerge in clusters of 1 to 5 from a single areole within the pseudocephalium.
* '''Fruits''': Small, globose, and fleshy. They are bright red when ripe and usually contain a red pulp.
* '''Seeds''': Small, black, and shiny.

== Habitat ==
The genus is native to the Sonoran Desert, thriving in alluvial plains, rocky slopes, and desert washes. They are highly heat-tolerant and often form dominant stands in the landscape.

== Distribution ==
* '''Mexico''': Baja California, Baja California Sur, and Sonora.
* '''USA''': Southern Arizona (Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument).

== Species and Subspecies ==
Following the classification of Lodé (2015), the genus includes 3 recognized species and 2 subspecies:

* [[Lophocereus gatesii]]
* [[Lophocereus marginatus]] (The "Organ Pipe" often used for living fences)
* [[Lophocereus schottii]] (Type species)
** [[Lophocereus schottii subsp. australis]]
** [[Lophocereus schottii subsp. schottii]]

== Taxonomy ==
Joël Lodé (2015) maintains ''Lophocereus'' as a separate genus from ''Pachycereus''. He bases this on its distinct pseudocephalium, different pollination syndromes (specialized moths), and molecular evidence that places it in a well-supported clade within the subtribe '''Echinocereinae'''.

[[Category:Cactaceae]]
[[Category:Cactoideae]]
[[Category:Phyllocacteae]]
[[Category:Echinocereinae]]

Lophocereus - Revision history