Leucostele atacamensis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Cactaceae
Subfamily: Cactoideae
Genus: Leucostele
Species:
L. atacamensis
Binomial name
Leucostele atacamensis
(Phil.) H.Friedrich & G.D.Rowley[2]
Synonyms
  • Cereus atacamensis Phil. 1860
  • Echinopsis atacamensis (Phil.) H.Friedrich & G.D.Rowley 1974
  • Helianthocereus atacamensis (Phil.) Backeb. 1959
  • Trichocereus atacamensis (Phil.) W.T.Marshall & T.M.Bock 1941

Leucostele atacamensis (cardón) is a species of cactus from Chile, Argentina and Bolivia. The wood of this species can be used in building and in making furniture.[2]

Description

Leucostele atacamensis has a tall columnar habit, sometimes forming branches in a candelabra shape and becoming treelike. It grows to about 1.5–10 m (4.9–32.8 ft) high, with stems to 25–70 cm (9.8–27.6 in) across. The stems have 20-30 ribs and areoles have a diameter of up to 2 centimeters and become larger with age with 50-100 maroon coloured spines, the longest up to 30 cm (12 in) long. In younger plants, the yellowish to honey-colored thorns are strongly needle-like and up to 10 centimeters (rarely up to 15 centimeters) long. The two to four (rarely up to eight) central spines cannot always be clearly distinguished from the peripheral spines. The rose-white flowers are 10–14 cm (3.9–5.5 in) long, open day and night, borne on the sides of the stems. The dark green fruits are densely covered with hairs, up to 5 cm (2.0 in) long; they are edible.[2]

Distribution

Leucostele atacamensis is widespread in the northeast of Chile the regions of Antofagasta, Tarapacá, Arica and Parinacota; the southwest of Bolivia in departments of Oruro, Potosí, and Tarija; and the north of Argentina in the provinces of Jujuy, Salta, Tucumán, Catamarca, La Rioja, and San Juan at altitudes of 1700 to 3900 meters.

Systematics

Leucostele atacamensis was first described by Rodolfo Philippi as Cereus atacamensis in 1860. It was placed in a number of genera, including Trichocereus and Helianthocereus, before being moved to Echinopsis by Helmo Friedrich and Gordon Rowley in 1974.[2]

There are two recognized subspecies.

ImageNameDescriptionDistribution
Echinopsis atacamensis subsp. pasacana (F.A.C.Weber ex Rümpler) Schlumpb.often branched, 10 m (33 ft) tallArgentina and Bolivia
Echinopsis atacamensis subsp. atacamensisusually unbranched, less tall (up to 6 m (20 ft)Chile.[2]

References

  1. ↑ Chile), Universidad de; Assessment), Helmut Walter (Global Cactus; Assessment), Luis Faundez (Global Cactus (2011-05-03). "The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Anderson, Edward F. (2001), The Cactus Family, Pentland, Oregon: Timber Press, ISBN 978-0-88192-498-5, pp. 257–258
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.