Stenocereus griseus (Haw.) 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 : 9-13

Stenocereus griseus (Haw.) Buxb., Botanische Studien 12:100. 1961

[ 61]. [urn:lsid:ipni. org:names:244634–2:1.3.2.1]. Type: América meridional, (unknown). Neotype (here designated) Colombia, Departamento de La Guajira, Municipio de Uribia, 8 km de Manaure. 31-Enero-1963, C . Saravia T. N ˚. 2183 ( COL98661 ) .

Additional observed specimens: Table A in S 3 Appendix.

Candelabraform tree, up to 9 m tall; trunk many times absent, <30 cm tall and <20 cm width; many branches, ascending, about 15 cm width, unconstrained, grayish green to glaucous; first order branching; mucilage cavities not evident in transverse branch sections; ribs 7 to 9, acute in transverse section, straight in longitudinal section, 12–35 mm tall by 11–35 mm wide at the base, without horizontal constriction between areolas within the same rib; areolas 8–28 mm apart each, round to obovate (scutelliform), 6–11.5 mm long and 6–10.6 mm wide, with light-colored trichomes; radial spines 5–7, subulated, divergent, 8–30 mm long, white when young, grayish when mature; 1 central spine, rarely 3, subulated, robust, 9.7–56 mm long, white with reddish base when young, grayish at maturity; subapical flowers, night anthesis remaining opened until the next morning, infundibuliform, 5.6–6 cm long and 4.4–5 cm wide in anthesis; pericarpel cylindrical, green, 11.5–14.5 mm wide, covered with slightly prominent podaria, separated, with wide oblong scales about 1.4–2.3 mm long by 1.5–3.2 mm wide at the base, reddish, areolas presenting light-colored trichomes, spines 7–13 mm long; receptacular tube 30–54 mm long, podaria with decurrent scales, narrow oblong to spatulate, apex obtuse to mucronated, about 4–8 mm wide with few trichomes and spines; outer perianth segments narrow oblong, apex rounded to truncate, 16–20 mm long and 6.5–10 mm wide, green to reddish from the bottom to the top; inner segments oblong to spatulate, entire margin, up to 2.5 cm long and 1 cm wide, white to pinkish-white; stamina included, numerous, arranged in verticillated series; basifix anthers, yellowish, style 23–52 mm long and 9–19 mm wide, white to pinkish white; stigma lobules 8–10, 2–4 mm long, yellowish white; nectar chamber semi-closed by the lower filaments curvature, 11–19 mm long and 5.9–6.7 mm wide, striated; ovary 8–13.3 mm long and 5.6–10.8 mm wide; fruit ovoid, dehiscent when ripe, about 48 mm in polar diameter by 40 mm in equatorial diameter, dark red, covered by areolas with numerous setose spines, about 11–18 mm long, yellowish white, deciduous at maturity, sweet flesh, red; ovoid, black seeds 1.3–2.2 mm long by 0.9–1.2 mm wide.

Common name: In Venezuela “cacto dato”, in Colombia: “cardón”, “cardón guajiro”, "yosú", "panameña", and “iguaraya” (fruit).

Phenology: flowers and fruits are produced over the year, but the peak of production lasts from November to April.

Habitat: S. griseus grows in tropical deciduous forest and xerophytic scrub alongside with Cereus spp. , Prosopis juliflora , Bulnesia arborea , Ceiba sp. and Haematoxylum sp. From sea level to 1200 meters above sea level.

Discussion: S. griseus is the sole species of the genus Stenocereus to occur in South America. This name was actually a homonym comprising a previously undescribed northern Mexico species ( S. huastecorum ) and a second one from northern South America, which shall conserve the name S. griseus by priority principle.

Distribution: Departments of Boyacá, Huila, La Guajira, Magdalena, and Santander in Colombia; States of Falcón, Lara, Mérida, Sucre, Táchira, Vargas, and Zulia in Venezuela, it is also found in Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao islands.