Armatocereus
| Armatocereus | |
|---|---|
| File:Armatocereus.jpg | |
| Kingdom | Plantae |
| Family | Cactaceae |
| Subfamily | Cactoideae |
| Tribe | Browningieae |
| SubTribe | |
| Genus | Armatocereus |
| Species | |
| Notes | Taxonomy follows Joël Lodé (2015). |
Etymology
The name Armatocereus means "Armed Wax candle", referring to the many long spines some species in the genus have.
Description
Armatocereus is a genus of branched shrubs or treelike plants reaching up to 12 m high. The stems are columnar, constricted, and segmented with 3-16 strongly developed ribs. Spines are sturdy, though they are sometimes absent in certain species.
Flowers are nocturnal and self-sterile. They are rather large, tubular to funnel-shaped, with a hairy and spiny floral tube. The flowers are typically white, rarely red, and are pollinated by bats (such as Glossophaga soricina and Lonchophylla hesperia). Fruits are fleshy and edible, losing their spines when ripe, and contain a white pulp. Seeds are large, rather irregular, ovoid (egg-shaped) to reniform (kidney-shaped), warty, and black.
Habitat
The genus grows among boulders on hills, in valleys, in deep quebradas (ravines), and in arid zones, sometimes presenting a surrounding shrubby vegetation.
Altitude range: approximately 0–3300 m.
Distribution
- Colombia (Dagua)
- Ecuador (Azuay, Chimborazo, Catamayo, Guayaquil, Huigra, Isla Puna, Loja, Rio Chanchán)
- Peru (Amazonas, Ancash, Arequipa, Cajamarca, Huancavelica, Ica, La Libertad, Lambayeque, Lima, Matucana, Moquegua, Piura, Tumbes, Rio Majes, Rio Marañon, Rio Nazca)
Species
The genus includes the following recognized species and subspecies:
- Armatocereus brevispinus
- Armatocereus cartwrightianus
- Armatocereus godingianus
- Armatocereus laetus
- Armatocereus mataranus
- Armatocereus mataranus subsp. ancashensis
- Armatocereus matucanensis
- Armatocereus oligogonus
- Armatocereus procerus
- Armatocereus rauhii
- Armatocereus rauhii subsp. balsasensis
- Armatocereus riomajensis
Notes
- Described by Backeberg in 1934, the genus was officially validated with a Latin diagnosis in 1938.
- Molecular data suggests that while Armatocereus is close to Castellanosia and Jasminocereus, they each form their own distinct clade, characterized by the absence of the chloroplastic intron rptl6.
- In phylogenetic analyses, the genus is situated within the "PHB" clade (Pachycereeae, Hylocereeae, Browningieae).
- Although previously included in Browningieae alongside Neoraimondia, the exact tribal relationships have remained a subject of ongoing study.
- The segmented growth of the columnar stems is a prominent morphological feature.
