Pachycereus pringlei

Pachycereus pringlei

Pachycereus pringlei is a flowering plant in the genus Pachycereus from the cactus family ( Cactaceae ). The specific epithet honors the pringlei American botanist Cyrus Guernsey Pringle ( 1838-1911 ). Spanish common names are " Cardon ", " Cardon Pelón ", " Sagueso " and " Sahuaso ".

Description

There are tree-like stem succulent growing plants usually reach stature heights of about 12 m. Chance of reach copies over 19 m in height, thus forming the largest cacti. Their stems have grassroots level 50 to 60 cm, in very old plants sometimes up to 1 meter in diameter. The recognized on lower stem height, arching branches are emerging about 20 to 30 cm thick. Trunks and branches are ten (usually about 13 - ) to 17 - Rippig. The standing on the ribs, brown areoles are very large. In adult plants, they are connected at the growing ends of felt belts. They carry about 20 to 30 spines, which are indistinctly divided into spines and one to three central spines. Initially, the thorns are about 2 to 3 cm long, white to light gray with black tips, later they darken and become black. Over time nachgeschobene thorns are coarse and up to 12 cm long. The only weak and inconspicuous Cephalien the areoles flow together and are thornless.

The flowers formed by the areoles of Cephalien open at night and stay open until about noon the following day. They are white, reddish outside, funnel -shaped to bell-shaped and up to 8 cm long. On the natural sites they appear (March to June) in the spring. After fertilization occur spherical to slightly oval, densely tomentose hairy fruits of up to 7 cm in diameter, at maturity along and often tear open star-shaped. Within the fruit there are up to 800 black seeds in a pink to red, rarely white pulp.

Dissemination

The species occurs in the Mexican states of Baja California and Baja California Sur in the interior, in Sonora, Sinaloa and Nayarit near the sea, and on some islands.

Ecology

Pachycereus pringlei is " dreihäusigen " one of the rare species that occur hermaphrodite specimens in both all-male, all-female as well (self- compatible ).

Both the main pollinators ( Chiropterophilie ) of the flowers and the most important propagator of the seeds is the Mexico wintering flower bat ( Leptonycteris curasoae ). Cactus and bat species depend directly on each other.

In the Red List of Threatened Species IUCN, the type is known as " Least Concern ( LC) ," ie, than not led at risk.