Arthrocereus melanurus

Arthrocereus melanurus is a flowering plant in the genus Arthrocereus from the cactus family ( Cactaceae ). The specific epithet melanurus the Greek words " μέλας " for black and " οὐρά " infers and refers to the appearance of the first plants collected.

Description

Arthrocereus melanurus growing basal branched with multiple shoots, the one meter or more are to long. The shoots are organized at short intervals, the individual segments are 10 to 40 inches long and have diameters of 2.5 to 3.5 centimeters. The 9 to 19 low ribs are 2 to 3 millimeters high. There are numerous, unequal length, golden yellow to white spines present. The up to 15 strong upper edge and the central spines are brown. The 20 lower bristle-like spines are 5-8 millimeters long.

The yellow to white flowers are up to 6 inches long.

Distribution, systematics and hazard

Arthrocereus melanurus is common in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais in altitude 700-1700 meters.

The first description as Cereus melanurus by Karl Moritz Schumann was published in 1890. Lothar Diers, Pierre Joseph Braun and Eddie Esteves Pereira set the style in 1987 in the genus Arthrocereus. A synonym is nomenklatorisches Leocereus melanurus ( K.Schum. ) Britton & Rose (1920).

The type Arthrocereus melanurus includes the following subtypes:

• Arthrocereus melanurus subsp. melanurus
• Arthrocereus melanurus subsp. magnus N.P.Taylor & Zappi
• Arthrocereus melanurus subsp. odorus ( F.Ritter ) N.P.Taylor & Zappi

Arthrocereus melanurus is on the Red List of Threatened Species IUCN as " Vulnerable (VU) ," ie, endangered classified. The same threat status was in 2002 for the subspecies Arthrocereus melanurus subsp. melanurus and Arthrocereus melanurus subsp. odorus. Arthrocereus melanurus subsp. magnus, however, was as a " Near Threatened (NT) ", ie out low risk. In the 2010 update, the subspecies were not re-evaluated and removed from the red list.

Evidence