Stenocereus laevigatus (Salm-Dyck) Buxb., Botanische Studien

Alvarado-Sizzo, Hernán, Casas, Alejandro, Parra, Fabiola, Arreola-Nava, Hilda Julieta, Terrazas, Teresa & Sánchez, Cristian, 2018, Species delimitation in the Stenocereus griseus (Cactaceae) species complex reveals a new species, S. huastecorum, PLoS ONE (e 0190385) 13 (1), pp. 1-25 : 17

Stenocereus laevigatus (Salm-Dyck) Buxb., Botanische Studien 12:100. 1961

[ 61]. [urn: lsid:ipni.org:names:244638–2:1.4]. Neotype (designated here): México, Yucatán, Municipio Telchac Puerto, A 2 km S de Telchac Puerto (carretera costera, por carr. A Telchac, al NE de Dzemul. 21˚ 19 0 N, 89˚ 16 0 W, Selva baja espinosa. Suelo calcáreo. Arbusto ramificado de hasta 3 m de altura; frutos rojizos cuando maduros. A nivel del mar. 26 Jul 1992, H. M. Hernández 2225 con J. S. Flores ( MEXU 649000).

Isoneotype (designated here): H. M. Hernández 2225 con J. S. Flores ( MEXU 649038).

Additional observed specimens: Table C in S 3 Appendix.

Candelabraformtree, 3–8 m tall; defined trunk, 0.5–1 m tall and 15–20 cm wide, dark green with lustrous surface; mucilage cavities not evident in branch transverse sections; ribs 7, rounded in transversal section, straight in longitudinal section, about 3 cm tall by 5 mm wide at the base, without horizontal constriction between areolas within the same rib; areolas 8–23 mm apart, elliptic to obovate, 7.14–13.6 mm long and 5.5–10 mm wide, with light-colored non glandular trichomes; radial spines 7–11, acicular, 5.7–18 (30) mm long, white when young, fading grayish with age; central spines 1–4, deciduous except for the lower one, acicular, larger and more robust than the radial ones, up to 50 mm long, white, turning gray at maturity; lateral or subapical flowers, infundibuliform, 7.8–8 cm long and 4.5–6.5 cm wide when opened, night anthesis; pericarpel globose to ovoid, about 1 cm wide, green, covered with slightly prominent podaria, with short triangular scales, about 2 m long and wide (at the base), greenish with purplish hues, areolas with scarcely dense trichomes, yellowish white, without spines; receptacular tube 2.9–3.2 cm wide, podaria with decurrent scales, oblong, apex acute to mucronate, variable in length, about 0.7 cm wide, with few trichomes; outer perianth segments narrowly oblong to spatulate with acute apex, about 3 cm long and 1 cm wide, green with purplish hues; inner segments oblong to oblanceolate, up to 2.5 cm long and 1 cm wide, entire margin, white to pinkish-white; stamina included, numerous, in verticillate series; yellowish white filaments; basifix anthers, yellowish; style about 6.5 cm long by 2 mm wide; stigma lobules 7, 1.2 cm long, yellowish-white; nectar chamber partially closed by the inner filaments curvature, 2.3 cm long by 0.9 cm wide, striated wall; ovary 1 cm long and 0.8 cm wide; fruit globose to ovoid, dehiscent when ripe, diameter 5 cm, green with reddish hues, covered by areolas with numerous setose spines, about 1.5 cm long, white, deciduous at maturity, sweet flesh, red; ovoid, black seeds, 1.9–2.9 mm long by 1.3–2 mm wide.

Common name: “órgano”, “tuno”.

Phenology: flowers in May, fruits May and June.

Habitat: tropical deciduous forest.

Distribution: states of Chiapas and Yucatán in México, Guatemala.

Discussion: according to Stafleu and Cowan [ 62], Salm-Dyck’s collections were never herborized. Among Salm-Dyck’s illustrations, however, this name doesn’t appear [ 63].