Pachycereus

Pachycereus
Baja California, Mexico
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Cactaceae
Subfamily:	Cactoideae
Tribe:	Echinocereeae
Genus:	Pachycereus (A.Berger) Britton & Rose
Type species
Pachycereus pringlei
Species
See text.

Pachycereus is a genus of 9–12 species of large cacti native to Mexico and just into southern Arizona, United States. They form large shrubs or small trees up to 15 m tall, with stout stems up to 1 m in diameter. Pachycereus comes from the ancient Greek παχύς (pachys) meaning "thick" and the Latin cereus meaning "torch".

Species[]

Image	Scientific name	Common Name	Distribution
	(F.A.C.Weber ex K.Schum.) D.R.Hunt		Mexico
	(M.E.Jones) D.R.Hunt		Mexico (Baja California Sur)
	Britton & Rose		Morelos, Puebla - Mexico
	Rose		Mexico (México State, Morelos, Oaxaca, Puebla)
	(F.A.C.Weber ex J.M.Coult.) Buxb.		Mexico (Oaxaca, Puebla)
	(Eichlam) Britton & Rose		Guatemala; Honduras
	(Audot) D.R.Hunt		Colima, Guerrero, Jalisco and Michoacán states of México
	Pachycereus pecten-aboriginum (Engelm. ex S.Watson) Britton & Rose	Indian comb	Mexico
	Pachycereus pringlei (S.Watson) Britton & Rose	cardón cactus	states of Baja California, Baja California Sur, and Sonora Mexico
	Gama & S.Arias		Mexico (Michoacán)
	(J.M.Coult.) Backeb.		Mexico (Guerrero, Oaxaca, Puebla)

P. pringlei is the tallest cactus species in the world, with a maximum recorded height of 19.2 m.^[1]

Synonymy

These genera have been brought into synonymy with Pachycereus, although this is not always maintained:

• Backebergia Bravo
• Lemaireocereus Britton & Rose
• Lophocereus (A.Berger) Britton & Rose
• Marginatocereus (Backeb.) Backeb.
• Mitrocereus (Backeb.) Backeb.
• Pterocereus &

References[]

External links[]

• Media related to Pachycereus at Wikimedia Commons
• Data related to Pachycereus at Wikispecies
• Flora of North America: Pachycereus
• Cacti Guide: Pachycereus
• photos on www.AIAPS.org