Leptocereus
Genus of cacti
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Leptocereus is a genus of cacti that are native to the Greater Antilles.[4] It has been placed in the tribe Leptocereeae[5] or in a broadly defined Echinocereeae.[6]
| Leptocereus | |
|---|---|
| |
| Leptocereus arboreus[1] | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Cactaceae |
| Subfamily: | Cactoideae |
| Tribe: | incertae sedis |
| Genus: | Leptocereus (A.Berger) Britton & Rose |
| Type species | |
| Leptocereus assurgens | |
| Synonyms[2][3] | |
Description
It is a very rare plant to encounter. The plants themselves are mostly sprawling shrubs, but can also form trees up to 30 feet or more in height. The stems are highly angled; with few large ribs which bear comfortably-spaced areoles that have spine clusters of about 10 spines or so. Some lose spine as they age. Often, the flowers are white or whitish-green and bear spines on raised areoles.[7]
Species
As of 2025[update], Plants of the World Online accepted the following species:[8]
| Subgenus[9] | Image | Scientific name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dendrocereus |  | Leptocereus nudiflorus (Engelm. ex C.Wright) D.Barrios & S.Arias | Cuba |
 | Leptocereus undulosus(DC.) D.Barrios & Majure | Hispaniola | |
| Leptocereus |  | Leptocereus arboreus Britton & Rose | Santa Clara, Cuba. |
 | Leptocereus assurgens (C.Wright ex Griseb.) Britton & Rose | Cuba | |
| Leptocereus carinatus Areces | Cuba | ||
| Leptocereus leonii Britton & Rose | Cuba | ||
 | Leptocereus scopulophilus Areces | La Habana, Cuba. | |
 | Leptocereus sylvestris Britton & Rose | La Habana, Cuba. | |
 | Leptocereus wrightii León | Cuba | |
| Neoabbotia | Leptocereus bayahibensis Hoxey & Gdaniec | Dominican republic | |
| Leptocereus cremnophilus Hoxey & Gdaniec | Dominican republic | ||
| Leptocereus demissus Areces | southwestern Hispaniola[10] | ||
 | Leptocereus grantianus Britton | Puerto Rico | |
 | Leptocereus paniculatus (Lam.) D.R.Hunt | Hispaniola | |
 | Leptocereus quadricostatus (Bello) Britton & Rose | Puerto Rico | |
| Leptocereus rosei Hoxey & Gdaniec | Dominican republic | ||
| Leptocereus septentrionalis Hoxey & Gdaniec | Dominican republic | ||
| Leptocereus velozianus Clase, Y.Encarn., Peguero & Majure | Hispaniola | ||
| Leptocereus weingartianus (E.Hartmann) Britton & Rose | Hispaniola |
