Leptocereus
| Leptocereus | |
|---|---|
| |
| Leptocereus arboreus[1] | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Cactaceae |
| Subfamily: | Cactoideae |
| Tribe: | incertae sedis |
| Genus: | (A.Berger) Britton & Rose |
| Type species | |
| Leptocereus assurgens | |
| Synonyms[2][3] | |
Leptocereus is a genus of cacti that are native to the Greater Antilles.[4] It has been placed in the tribe Leptocereeae[5] or in a broadly defined Echinocereeae.[6]
Description
It is a very rare plant to encounter. The plants themselves are mostly sprawling shrubs, but can also form trees up to 30 feet or more in height. The stems are highly angled; with few large ribs which bear comfortably-spaced areoles that have spine clusters of about 10 spines or so. Some lose spine as they age. Often, the flowers are white or whitish-green and bear spines on raised areoles.[7]
Species
As of 2025, Plants of the World Online accepted the following species:[8]
| Image | Scientific name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|
 |
Leptocereus arboreus Britton & Rose | Santa Clara, Cuba. |
 |
Leptocereus assurgens (C.Wright ex Griseb.) Britton & Rose | Cuba |
| Leptocereus bayahibensis Hoxey & Gdaniec | Dominican republic | |
| Leptocereus carinatus Areces | Cuba | |
| Leptocereus cremnophilus Hoxey & Gdaniec | Dominican republic | |
| Leptocereus demissus Areces | southwestern Hispaniola[9] | |
 |
Leptocereus grantianus Britton | Puerto Rico |
| Leptocereus leonii Britton & Rose | Cuba | |
 |
Leptocereus nudiflorus (Engelm. ex C.Wright) D.Barrios & S.Arias | Cuba |
 |
Leptocereus paniculatus (Lam.) D.R.Hunt | Hispaniola |
 |
Leptocereus quadricostatus (Bello) Britton & Rose | Puerto Rico |
| Leptocereus rosei Hoxey & Gdaniec | Dominican republic | |
 |
Leptocereus scopulophilus Areces | La Habana, Cuba. |
| Leptocereus septentrionalis Hoxey & Gdaniec | Dominican republic | |
 |
Leptocereus sylvestris Britton & Rose | La Habana, Cuba. |
| Leptocereus undulosus(DC.) D.Barrios & Majure | Hispaniola | |
| Leptocereus velozianus Clase, Y.Encarn., Peguero & Majure | Hispaniola | |
| Leptocereus weingartianus (E.Hartmann) Britton & Rose | Hispaniola | |
| Leptocereus wrightii León | Cuba |
References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Leptocereus.
- ^ 1920 illustration by Mary Emily Eaton (1873-1961) published in The Cactaceae (1919-1923) by Britton et Rose, Vol. II.
- ^ The Plant List, Neoabbottia paniculata (Lam.) Britton & Rose
- ^ Tropicos, Leptocereus (A. Berger) Britton & Rose
- ^ Britton, Nathaniel Lord & Rose, Joseph Nelson. 1909. Contributions from the United States National Herbarium 12(10): 433 in English
- ^ Sánchez, D.; Arias, S. & Terrazas, T. (2014). "Phylogenetic relationships in Echinocereus (Cactaceae, Cactoideae)". Systematic Botany. 39 (4): 1183–1196. doi:10.1600/036364414X683831. S2CID 84505202.
- ^ "Taxonomy Browser: Leptocereus". National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). Retrieved 2021-03-15.
- ^ "On-line Guide to the positive identification of Members of the Cactus Family". cactiguide.com. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
- ^ "Leptocereus Britton & Rose". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2021-03-16.
- ^ Areces-Mallea, Alberto (May–June 2017). "Leptocereus demissus, a new species from southwestern Hispaniola". Cactus and Succulent Journal. 89 (3): 115–121. doi:10.2985/015.089.0303. S2CID 91144846.