Armatocereus
Armatocereus laetus
Armatocereus is a genus of flowering plants of the cactus family ( Cactaceae ). The botanical name of the genus is derived from the Latin word " arma " weapons and means of armed Cereus.
Description
The species of the genus Armatocereus grow bushy or treelike. The rich, erect or ascending, cylindrical shoots are constricted year and as more or less divided. The pronounced 3 to 16 ribs have large areolae from which spring usually strong and rarely weak spines, which rarely absent.
The rather large, tubular evaporated down funnel-shaped flowers are white or rarely red, and open into the night. The areoles of the flower cup and the flower tube are thorns tomentose and usually. The stamens are attached in the upper region of the tube.
The large, spherical to ovoid fruits are red or green and have a white, fleshy pulp and falling in fruit ripening thorns. The flowers rest is enduring. The large, oval to kidney-shaped seeds are black.
Systematics and distribution
The species of the genus Armatocereus are distributed mainly in the Andes of Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.
The first description of the genus was made in 1938 by Curt Backeberg. The type species is Cactus laetus Kunth. Belong to the genus of the following types:
- Armatocereus Arduus
- Armatocereus brevispinus
- Armatocereus cartwrightianus
- Armatocereus godingianus
- Armatocereus humilis
- Armatocereus laetus
- Armatocereus mataranus Armatocereus mataranus subsp. ancashensis
- Armatocereus mataranus subsp. mataranus
- Armatocereus rauhii subsp. rauhii
- Armatocereus rauhii subsp. balsasensis