Strophocactus sicariguensis

Strophocactus sicariguensis, synonym Pseudoacanthocereus sicariguensis, is a species of plant in the family Cactaceae. It is native to Colombia and Venezuela. It has often sprawling thin stems and white funnel-shaped flowers that open at night.

Strophocactus sicariguensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Cactaceae
Subfamily:	Cactoideae
Genus:	Strophocactus
Species:	S. sicariguensis
Binomial name
Strophocactus sicariguensis (Croizat & Tamayo) S.Arias & N.Korotkova[1]
Synonyms[2][3]
Acanthocereus sicariguensis Croizat & Tamayo Pseudoacanthocereus sicariguensis (Croizat & Tamayo) N.P.Taylor

Description

Strophocactus sicariguensis grows as a shrub, initially upright and later sprawling. It branches freely from the base. The thin stems are up to 2 m (6 ft 7 in) long and 3 cm (1.2 in) across and have 2–5 ribs bearing areoles with spines up to 2 cm (0.8 in) long. The white funnel-shaped flowers open at night and are up to 16 cm (6.3 in) long.^[4]

Taxonomy

Strophocactus sicariguensis was first described, as Acanthocereus sicariguensis, in 1947.^[1] It was transferred to the genus Pseudoacanthocereus as Pseudoacanthocereus sicariguensis by Nigel P. Taylor in 1992,^[5] a placement still accepted by some sources as of February 2021^[update].^[2] A molecular phylogenetic study of the Hylocereeae by Korotkova et al. published in 2017 showed that Pseudoacanthocereus sicariguensis formed a clade with Strophocactus wittii and Pseudoacanthocereus brasiliensis (the only other species placed in Pseudoacanthocereus):^[3]

	Neoraimondia herzogiana Pseudoacanthocereus brasiliensis Pseudoacanthocereus sicariguensis  Strophocactus wittii Strophocactus sensu Korotkova et al. (2017)

Accordingly, both species of Pseudoacanthocereus were transferred to Strophocactus.^[3]

Distribution

Strophocactus sicariguensis is native to Colombia and Venezuela,^[2] in particular around the Maracaibo Basin.^[3]

References

1. "Strophocactus sicariguensis (Croizat & Tamayo) S.Arias & N.Korotkova". International Plant Names Index (IPNI). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; Harvard University Herbaria & Libraries; Australian National Botanic Gardens. Retrieved 2021-02-24.
2. "Pseudoacanthocereus sicariguensis (Croizat & Tamayo) N.P.Taylor". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2021-02-24.
3. Korotkova, Nadja; Borsch, Thomas & Arias, Salvador (2017), "A phylogenetic framework for the Hylocereeae (Cactaceae) and implications for the circumscription of the genera" (PDF), Phytotaxa, 327 (1): 1–46, doi:10.11646/phytotaxa.327.1.1
4. Anderson, Edward F. (2001), "Pseudoacanthocereus", The Cactus Family, Pentland, Oregon: Timber Press, pp. 591–592, ISBN 978-0-88192-498-5
5. "Pseudoacanthocereus sicariguensis (Croizat & Tamayo) N.P.Taylor". International Plant Names Index (IPNI). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; Harvard University Herbaria & Libraries; Australian National Botanic Gardens. Retrieved 2021-02-24.