Stenocereus beneckei

Stenocereus beneckei
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Cactaceae
Subfamily: Cactoideae
Genus: Stenocereus
Species:
S. beneckei
Binomial name
Stenocereus beneckei
(C.Ehrenb.) Buxb. 1961
Synonyms[2]
  • Cereus beneckei C.Ehrenb. 1844
  • Hertrichocereus beneckei (C.Ehrenb.) Backeb. 1951
  • Lemaireocereus beneckei (C.Ehrenb.) Britton & Rose 1923
  • Piptanthocereus beneckei (C.Ehrenb.) Riccob. 1909
  • Rathbunia beneckei (C.Ehrenb.) P.V.Heath 1992
  • Cereus beneckei var. farinosus (Haage ex Salm-Dyck) Salm-Dyck 1950
  • Cereus farinosus Haage ex Salm-Dyck 1845
  • Echinocactus farinosus (Haage ex Salm-Dyck) C.F.Först. 1846
  • Rathbunia beneckei f. cristatus P.V.Heath 1992
  • Stenocereus beneckei f. cristatus (P.V.Heath) P.V.Heath 1996

Stenocereus beneckei is a species of cactus in the genus Stenocereus, endemic to Mexico.

Description

Stenocereus beneckei is a shrub-like cactus with upright or slightly curved shoots, growing 1–2 meters tall. The light to gray-green shoots often appear whitish, with a diameter of 5–7 cm. They feature 6–9 widely spaced ribs divided into large, blunt cusps. The plant has a single stiff, blackish central spine up to 4 cm long, and 2–5 grayish marginal spines up to 1.7 cm long.

Flowers bloom near the shoot tips, opening at night and remaining open into the next day. They are brownish on the outside, white on the inside, and measure 6.5–8 cm long. The ellipsoid fruits are tuberous, initially green, turning red as they mature, and measure up to 5 cm long and 3 cm in diameter, with colorless flesh.[3]

Distribution

This species is native to deciduous forests in the Mexican states of Guerrero, Morelos, Puebla, and México, growing on rocky cliffs at altitudes of 1200 to 1400 meters.[4]

Taxonomy

First described as Cereus beneckei in 1844 by Carl August Ehrenberg, the species was later reclassified as Stenocereus beneckei by Franz Buxbaum in 1961. The specific epithet honors Stephan Benecke, a Berlin-born trader and German consul in Mexico who founded the Camara Nacional de Comercio in 1875.[5]

References

  1. ^ "The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2009-05-01. Retrieved 2024-12-24.
  2. ^ "Stenocereus beneckei (C.Ehrenb.) A.Berger & Buxb". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 2024-12-24.
  3. ^ Anderson, Edward F.; Eggli, Urs; Anderson, Edward F. (2005). Das große Kakteen-Lexikon (in German). Stuttgart (Hohenheim): Ulmer. p. 600. ISBN 3-8001-4573-1.
  4. ^ "Stenocereus beneckei". www.llifle.com. Retrieved 2024-12-24. This article incorporates text from this source, which is available under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license.
  5. ^ "Ernennung zu Deutschen Konsuln. Vom 4. März 1872 – Wikisource". Wikisource (in German). 2007-08-03. Retrieved 2024-12-24.