Badmin: Created page with "{{Taxobox | name = Marshallocereus | image = Marshallocereus_aragonii.jpg | kingdom = Plantae | family = Cactaceae | subfamily = Cactoideae | tribe = Cereeae | subtribe = Echinocereinae | genus = '''Marshallocereus''' | authority = Backeb. emend. Lodé | notes = Taxonomy follows Joël Lodé (2015) with reference to Backeberg (1950), Terrazas (2000), Arias & Terrazas (2006), Nyffeler & Eggli (2010), and Bàrcenas et al. (2011). }} == Etymology == Name..."

2026-04-22T08:33:50Z

Created page with "{{Taxobox | name = Marshallocereus | image = Marshallocereus_aragonii.jpg | kingdom = Plantae | family = Cactaceae | subfamily = Cactoideae | tribe = Cereeae | subtribe = Echinocereinae | genus = '''Marshallocereus''' | authority = Backeb. emend. Lodé | notes = Taxonomy follows Joël Lodé (2015) with reference to Backeberg (1950), Terrazas (2000), Arias & Terrazas (2006), Nyffeler & Eggli (2010), and Bàrcenas et al. (2011). }} == Etymology == Name..."

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{{Taxobox
| name = Marshallocereus
| image = Marshallocereus_aragonii.jpg
| kingdom = [[Plantae]]
| family = [[Cactaceae]]
| subfamily = [[Cactoideae]]
| tribe = [[Cereeae]]
| subtribe = [[Echinocereinae]]
| genus = '''Marshallocereus'''
| authority = Backeb. emend. Lodé
| notes = Taxonomy follows Joël Lodé (2015) with reference to Backeberg (1950), Terrazas (2000), Arias & Terrazas (2006), Nyffeler & Eggli (2010), and Bàrcenas et al. (2011).
}}

== Etymology ==
Named in honour of William Taylor Marshall (1886–1957), American botanist and co-founder of the Cactus and Succulent Society of America.

== Description ==
'''Marshallocereus''' is a genus of vigorous, tree-like columnar cacti.

* '''Habit''': Arborescent; branching from the base; usually without a distinct trunk.
* '''Stems''': Erect, columnar; dark green, shiny; often with waxy coating forming a V-pattern in new growth.
* '''Ribs''': 6–10; thick, rounded.
* '''Areoles''': Small; with brown to grey wool.
* '''Spines''': 4–6 radial spines (short, acicular); 1–3 central spines slightly longer.
* '''Flowers''': Nocturnal; funnel-shaped; self-sterile.
* '''Flower color''': Outer tepals greenish to purplish; inner tepals pinkish-white to deep pink.
* '''Floral structures''': Tuberculate and scaly floral tube.
* '''Pollination''': By bats (e.g. ''Glossophaga'' spp.); flowers produce abundant nectar.
* '''Fruits''': Large, ovoid; dry at maturity; dehiscent into segments; with persistent spines.
* '''Fruit pulp''': White or red.
* '''Seed dispersal''': Primarily by birds (ornithochory).
* '''Seeds''': Large, black, smooth, glossy.

== Habitat ==
Occurs in tropical dry environments:

* semi-arid regions
* volcanic landscapes
* dry deciduous forests
* rocky slopes and river margins
* coastal proximity

Altitude range: from sea level to ~50 m (possibly higher).

== Distribution ==
Central America:

* Costa Rica (Guanacaste, Puntarenas)
* El Salvador (Cuscatlán, Sonsonate, San Miguel, La Unión)
* Guatemala (multiple departments)
* Honduras (Yoro)
* Mexico (Chiapas)
* Nicaragua (León, Madriz)
* Panama

== Taxonomy ==
A re-established genus with complex systematic history.

Key points:

* Originally described within ''Cereus'' (type: ''Cereus aragonii'')
* Later included in ''Stenocereus'' sensu lato
* Morphological and anatomical studies (Terrazas 2000; Arias & Terrazas 2006) indicated separation
* Seed morphology studies (Arroyo-Cosultchi et al. 2006) showed clear differences from ''Stenocereus''
* Similarities noted with ''Pachycereus'', but without sufficient support for inclusion
* Nyffeler & Eggli (2010): clarified broader phylogenetic relationships within Cactaceae
* Guiggi (2012): reinstated ''Marshallocereus'' and proposed subspecific treatment

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

== Species ==
According to Joël Lodé (2015):

* [[Marshallocereus aragonii]]
* [[Marshallocereus aragonii subsp. eichlamii]] (doubtful)

== Notes ==
* Represents a lineage formerly embedded in ''Stenocereus''.
* Strong seed morphology signal supporting separation.
* Likely bat-pollinated with bird-dispersed fruits.
* Possible broader distribution than currently confirmed.
* Widely used locally for living fences (quickset hedges).

[[Category:Cactaceae]]
[[Category:Cactoideae]]
[[Category:Cereeae]]
[[Category:Echinocereinae]]
[[Category:Marshallocereus]]

Marshallocereus - Revision history