1- Introduction to the Genus Cereus Mill.
1.1- Scientific Classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Core eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Cactaceae
Subfamily: Cactoideae
Tribe: Cereeae
Genus: Cereus Mill
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Core eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Cactaceae
Subfamily: Cactoideae
Tribe: Cereeae
Genus: Cereus Mill
1.2- Genus Cereus Mill.
+ Overview
Cereus is a genus of cacti (family Cactaceae) including around 33 species of large columnar cacti from South America. The name is derived from Greek (κηρός) and Latin words meaning "wax" or "torch". The genus Cereus was one of the first cactus genera to be described; the circumscription varies depending on the authority. The term "cereus" is also sometimes used for a ceroid cactus, any cactus with a very elongated body, including columnar growth cacti and epiphytic cacti.
+ Distribution
The range includes Brazil, northern Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia, rarely Peru, Colombia, Guyana, Suriname and Venezuela.
+ Overview
Cereus is a genus of cacti (family Cactaceae) including around 33 species of large columnar cacti from South America. The name is derived from Greek (κηρός) and Latin words meaning "wax" or "torch". The genus Cereus was one of the first cactus genera to be described; the circumscription varies depending on the authority. The term "cereus" is also sometimes used for a ceroid cactus, any cactus with a very elongated body, including columnar growth cacti and epiphytic cacti.
+ Distribution
The range includes Brazil, northern Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia, rarely Peru, Colombia, Guyana, Suriname and Venezuela.
+ Description
Cereus are shrubby or treelike, often attaining great heights (Cereus hexagonus, Cereus lamprospermus, Cereus trigonodendron up to 15 m). Most stems are angled or distinctly ribbed, ribs 3-14, usually well developed and have large areoles, usually bearing spines. Cephalium is not present, Cereus mortensenii develops pseudocephalium. Flowers are large, funnelform, 9-30 cm long, usually white, sometimes pink, purple, rarely cream, yellow, greenish, and open at night. Fruits are globose to ovoid to oblong, 3-13 cm long, fleshy, naked, usually red but sometimes yellow, pulp white, pink or red. Seeds large, curved ovoid, glossy black.
+ Uses
Fruits, flowers and stems of Cereus repandus are edible. Its wood has been used in making furniture and for firewood, and sliced stems have been used as a soap substitute. It is cultivated as a living fence also.
+ Subgenera
(Depending on Anderson 2005)
1- Subgenus Cereus [21 species]
2- Subgenus Ebneria (Backeb.) D.R.Hunt [8 species]
3- Subgenus Mirabella (F.Ritter) N.P.Taylor [2 species]
4- Subgenus Oblongicarpi (Croizat) D.R.Hunt & N.P.Taylor [5 species]
Cereus are shrubby or treelike, often attaining great heights (Cereus hexagonus, Cereus lamprospermus, Cereus trigonodendron up to 15 m). Most stems are angled or distinctly ribbed, ribs 3-14, usually well developed and have large areoles, usually bearing spines. Cephalium is not present, Cereus mortensenii develops pseudocephalium. Flowers are large, funnelform, 9-30 cm long, usually white, sometimes pink, purple, rarely cream, yellow, greenish, and open at night. Fruits are globose to ovoid to oblong, 3-13 cm long, fleshy, naked, usually red but sometimes yellow, pulp white, pink or red. Seeds large, curved ovoid, glossy black.
+ Uses
Fruits, flowers and stems of Cereus repandus are edible. Its wood has been used in making furniture and for firewood, and sliced stems have been used as a soap substitute. It is cultivated as a living fence also.
+ Subgenera
(Depending on Anderson 2005)
1- Subgenus Cereus [21 species]
2- Subgenus Ebneria (Backeb.) D.R.Hunt [8 species]
3- Subgenus Mirabella (F.Ritter) N.P.Taylor [2 species]
4- Subgenus Oblongicarpi (Croizat) D.R.Hunt & N.P.Taylor [5 species]
2- Taxonomy of the Genus Cereus Mill.
2.1- History
The name Cereus originates in a book by Tabernaemontanus published in 1625 and refers to the candle-like form of species Cereus hexagonus. Regularly having been described by Philip Miller in 1754, and included all known cacti with very elongated bodies.
Ludwig Pfeiffer in 1838 divided Cephalocereus (type Cephalocereus senilis), the name is derived from the Greek cephale, head, thus headed cereus, referring to the hairy pseudocephalium. Charles Lemaire described Pilocereus in 1839, now is renamed as Pilosocereus. The name Pilocereus is derived from the Greek pilos, felted, hairy, thus hairy cereus, similar to the Latin pilosus, from which the name Pilosocereus was derived. Echinocereus (type Echinocereus viridiflorus) was described in 1848 by George Engelmann, the name is derived from the Greek echinos, hedgehog or sea urchin.
Britton & Rose (1919-1923) and Alwin Berger (1929) continued to divide Cereus into many genera. The 33 or so species that remain in the Cereus group are largely plants that have not been moved out of the genus rather than plants that have been included because they fit the description of Cereus. This inclusion-by-lack-of-exclusion makes for a very messy and unsatisfactory grouping.
The name Cereus originates in a book by Tabernaemontanus published in 1625 and refers to the candle-like form of species Cereus hexagonus. Regularly having been described by Philip Miller in 1754, and included all known cacti with very elongated bodies.
Ludwig Pfeiffer in 1838 divided Cephalocereus (type Cephalocereus senilis), the name is derived from the Greek cephale, head, thus headed cereus, referring to the hairy pseudocephalium. Charles Lemaire described Pilocereus in 1839, now is renamed as Pilosocereus. The name Pilocereus is derived from the Greek pilos, felted, hairy, thus hairy cereus, similar to the Latin pilosus, from which the name Pilosocereus was derived. Echinocereus (type Echinocereus viridiflorus) was described in 1848 by George Engelmann, the name is derived from the Greek echinos, hedgehog or sea urchin.
Britton & Rose (1919-1923) and Alwin Berger (1929) continued to divide Cereus into many genera. The 33 or so species that remain in the Cereus group are largely plants that have not been moved out of the genus rather than plants that have been included because they fit the description of Cereus. This inclusion-by-lack-of-exclusion makes for a very messy and unsatisfactory grouping.
2.2- Subgenera and Species
Depending on Anderson 2005:
+ Subgenus Cereus [21 species, 9 subspecies]
Species:
1- Cereus argentinensis
2- Cereus bicolor
3- Cereus braunii
4- Cereus cochabambensis
5- Cereus comarapanus
6- Cereus fernambucensis
- Cereus fernambucensis subsp. fernambucensis
- Cereus fernambucensis subsp. sericifer
7- Cereus hankeanus
8- Cereus hexagonus
9- Cereus hildmannianus
- Cereus hildmannianus subsp. hildmannianus
- Cereus hildmannianus subsp. uruguayanus
10- Cereus insularis
11- Cereus jamacaru
- Cereus jamacaru subsp. jamacaru
- Cereus jamacaru subsp. calcirupicola
- Cereus jamacaru subsp. goiasensis
12- Cereus lamprospermus
- Cereus lamprospermus subsp. lamprospermus
- Cereus lamprospermus subsp. colosseus
13- Cereus lanosus
14- Cereus pachyrhizus
15- Cereus pierre-braunianus
16- Cereus roseiflorus
17- Cereus stenogonus
18- Cereus tacuaralensis
19- Cereus trigonodendron
20- Cereus validus
21- Cereus vargasianu
Depending on Anderson 2005:
+ Subgenus Cereus [21 species, 9 subspecies]
Species:
1- Cereus argentinensis
2- Cereus bicolor
3- Cereus braunii
4- Cereus cochabambensis
5- Cereus comarapanus
6- Cereus fernambucensis
- Cereus fernambucensis subsp. fernambucensis
- Cereus fernambucensis subsp. sericifer
7- Cereus hankeanus
8- Cereus hexagonus
9- Cereus hildmannianus
- Cereus hildmannianus subsp. hildmannianus
- Cereus hildmannianus subsp. uruguayanus
10- Cereus insularis
11- Cereus jamacaru
- Cereus jamacaru subsp. jamacaru
- Cereus jamacaru subsp. calcirupicola
- Cereus jamacaru subsp. goiasensis
12- Cereus lamprospermus
- Cereus lamprospermus subsp. lamprospermus
- Cereus lamprospermus subsp. colosseus
13- Cereus lanosus
14- Cereus pachyrhizus
15- Cereus pierre-braunianus
16- Cereus roseiflorus
17- Cereus stenogonus
18- Cereus tacuaralensis
19- Cereus trigonodendron
20- Cereus validus
21- Cereus vargasianu
+ Subgenus Ebneria (Backeb.) D.R.Hunt [8 species]
Species:
1- Cereus adelmarii
2- Cereus aethiops
3- Cereus estevesii
4- Cereus haageanus
5- Cereus kroenleinii
6- Cereus phatnospermus
7- Cereus saddianus
8- Cereus spegazzinii
+ Subgenus Mirabella (F.Ritter) N.P.Taylor [2 species]
Species:
1- Cereus albicaulis
2- Cereus mirabell
Species:
1- Cereus adelmarii
2- Cereus aethiops
3- Cereus estevesii
4- Cereus haageanus
5- Cereus kroenleinii
6- Cereus phatnospermus
7- Cereus saddianus
8- Cereus spegazzinii
+ Subgenus Mirabella (F.Ritter) N.P.Taylor [2 species]
Species:
1- Cereus albicaulis
2- Cereus mirabell
+ Subgenus Oblongicarpi (Croizat) D.R.Hunt & N.P.Taylor [5 species]
Species:
1- Cereus fricii
2- Cereus horrispinus
3- Cereus huilunchu
4- Cereus mortensenii
5- Cereus repandus
2.3- Important Species that have edible fruits
+ Subgenus Oblongicarpi (Croizat) D.R.Hunt & N.P.Taylor [5 species]
Species:
1- Cereus repandus Haw.
Source: Cereus - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Species:
1- Cereus fricii
2- Cereus horrispinus
3- Cereus huilunchu
4- Cereus mortensenii
5- Cereus repandus
2.3- Important Species that have edible fruits
+ Subgenus Oblongicarpi (Croizat) D.R.Hunt & N.P.Taylor [5 species]
Species:
1- Cereus repandus Haw.
Source: Cereus - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Edited by Ho Dinh Hai
Long An - Vietnam
References
1- http://worldwidefruits.weebly.com
2- http://worldwidefruits.weebly.com/orders-of-plants.html
3- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caryophyllales
4- http://worldwidefruits.weebly.com/order-caryphyllales.html
5- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cactus
6- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cactoideae
7- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cereeae
8- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cereus_plan
Long An - Vietnam
References
1- http://worldwidefruits.weebly.com
2- http://worldwidefruits.weebly.com/orders-of-plants.html
3- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caryophyllales
4- http://worldwidefruits.weebly.com/order-caryphyllales.html
5- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cactus
6- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cactoideae
7- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cereeae
8- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cereus_plan
See Video about: Peruvian Apple Cactus Bloom & Fruit
