Cereus (plant)

Cereus are shrubby or treelike, often attaining great heights (C. hexagonus, C. lamprospermus, C. trigonodendron, C. ingens up to ). Most stems are angled or distinctly ribbed, ribs long, usually well developed and have large areoles, usually bearing spines. Cephalium is not present; C. mortensenii develops pseudocephalium. The flowers are large, funnelform, long, usually white, sometimes pink, purple, rarely cream, yellow, greenish, and open at night. The fruits are globose to ovoid to oblong, long, fleshy, naked, usually red but sometimes yellow, pulp white, pink or red. The seeds are large, curved ovoid, glossy black. ==Taxonomy==

The name Cereus originates in a book by Tabernaemontanus published in 1625 and refers to the candle-like form of species C. hexagonus. It was described by Philip Miller in 1754, and included all known cacti with very elongated bodies. Species , Plants of the World Online accepted the following species: '' at Tenneti Park in Visakhapatnam Synonyms Species that have formerly been accepted include: • Cereus adelmarii, syn. of Cereus phatnospermus • Cereus argentinensis, syn. of Cereus stenogonus • Cereus braunii, syn. of Cereus trigonodendron • Cereus cochabambensis, syn. of Cereus forbesii • Cereus comarapanus, syn. of Cereus forbesii • Cereus hankeanus, syn. of Cereus forbesii • Cereus huilunchu, syn. of Cereus forbesii • Cereus kroenleinii, syn. of Cereus phatnospermus • Cereus roseiflorus, syn. of Cereus stenogonus • Cereus tacuaralensis, syn. of Cereus stenogonus ==Distribution==

The range includes Brazil, northern Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Bolivia; more rarely it can be found in Peru, Colombia, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela. ==Uses==

The fruits and stems of C. repandus are edible, The wood has been used in making furniture and for firewood, and sliced stems have been used as a soap substitute. The stems can be broken open for their pulp, a source of water. The plant is also cultivated as a living fence. == Gallery ==

File:Cereus hexagonus00.jpg| Charles Lemaire, Iconographie descriptive des cactées, 1841 – 7. File:Starr_030202-0036_Cereus_uruguayanus.jpg| Cereus hildmannianus subsp. uruguayanus in shrub formation, Uruguay File:Cereus jamacaru.JPG| High plants of Cereus jamacaru File:Flor de Mandacaru, Guarujá, São Paulo.jpg| Nocturnal flowers of Cereus jamacaru File:Cereus-peruvians.jpg| Stems are segmented annually File:Cereus forbesii - Palmengarten Frankfurt 1.jpg| Cereus forbesii File:Pitaya in Israel.jpg| Fruits in cultivation File:Cereus peruvianus fruit RJP 01.jpg| Edible fruits of Cereus repandus File:044cperuvianus-monstrose.JPG| Different monstrose forms Cereus neotetragonus (3) 1200.jpg|Flower bud of Cereus fernambucensis subsp. fernambucensis ==References==