Taxonomy
Cereus stenogonus © María Peña-Chocarro
Cereus stenogonus is an arborescent cactus that grows to 8m tall. It has a short trunk and narrow crown with few branches.
The branches are:
- long
- erect
- thick
- greyish-green
- 4–5 laterally flattened spiny ribs
The bark is:
- smooth or finely fissured
- spineless
- grey-brown
The leaves are absent, instead there are 2–5 short spines per areole (whitish knots from which the spines protrude).
The plant has solitary flowers in January and February that:
- are up to 22cm
- grow from the ribs
- are funnel-shaped
- have a reddish calyx
- have a long and narrow corolla tube
- have numerous white petals and stamens
The fruit is an elliptical berry 10cm long, orange-reddish when mature, with the long persistent style and white-pinkish flesh. They contain numerous small dark seeds.
