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Cereus species identification guide
Cereus Species Characteristics
* Usually upright and tall stems, but not always. Often branches a lot.
* Areoles are spiny, and often are short and wooly, and not long and wooly.
* Single flower from an areole.
* Flowers are nocturnal, funnel form and elongated. Flower tube is cylindrical.
* Ovaries are usually naked, sometimes a few scales. Naked in their axils.
* Perianth are: funnelform, salverform, pyriform or campanulate.
* Petals of flower fall off ovary after anthesis.
* Many Stamens that are both short and long, slender and not strong.
* Stigma-lobes linear.
* Fruit is often fleshy and or red pigments, a few are yellow. Fruits are naked and split open when ripe.
* Seeds are black.
Cereus bageanus
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Flower |
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Areole |
Seeds |
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Cereus forbesii
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Cereus hexagonus
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Cereus hildmannianus
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Cereus horridus
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Flower |
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Cereus jamacaru
* Tall columnar (10 Meters) with thick joints.
* Thick woody trunk (when large).
* Branches are numerous and erect, often creating a thick growth at the top of the plant.
* Often has a blue colour to it.
* 4-6 ribs.
* Large areoles, 2-3 cm apart.
* Spines are often numerous (especially when old), and quite long. Spines may be yellowish at first, and often turn a yellow-brown colour.
* Flowers are large night bloomers, up to 30cm long and white.
* Ovary is purple with some brown.
* Many stigma-lobes 2cm long.
* Very large fruit (10cm) and red. Fruit pulp is white with black seeds.
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Cereus peruvianus
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Cereus pitaya
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Cereus xanthocarpus
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The keys used for this page are primarily from "The Cactaceae" by N. L. Britton and J. N. Rose.
This page is still being edited, if you have any comments or corrections, please email us.
