Leptocereus
{{Short description|Genus of cacti}}
{{Italic title}}
{{Automatic taxobox
|image = Leptocereus arboreus The Cactaceae2.jpg
|image_caption = Leptocereus arboreus1920 illustration by Mary Emily Eaton (1873-1961) published in The Cactaceae (1919-1923) by Britton et Rose, Vol. II.
|taxon = Leptocereus
|authority = (A.Berger) Britton & Rose
|synonyms_ref=[http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/tro-5106348 The Plant List, Neoabbottia paniculata (Lam.) Britton & Rose ][http://www.tropicos.org/Name/40004847 Tropicos, Leptocereus (A. Berger) Britton & Rose ]
|synonyms=*Cereus subg. Leptocereus A.Berger
|type_species =Leptocereus assurgens
}}
Leptocereus is a genus of cacti that are native to the Greater Antilles.[https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/367853#page/572/mode/1up Britton, Nathaniel Lord & Rose, Joseph Nelson. 1909. Contributions from the United States National Herbarium 12(10): 433] in English It has been placed in the tribe Leptocereeae or in a broadly defined Echinocereeae.{{cite web |title=Taxonomy Browser: Leptocereus |publisher=National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) |url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/Browser/wwwtax.cgi?mode=Info&id=153870&lvl=3 |access-date=2021-03-15 }}
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.{{Cite web |title=On-line Guide to the positive identification of Members of the Cactus Family |url=https://cactiguide.com/cactus/?genus=leptocereus |access-date=2024-07-18 |website=cactiguide.com}}
Species
{{As of|2025}}, Plants of the World Online accepted the following species:{{cite web |title=Leptocereus Britton & Rose |work=Plants of the World Online |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew|url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:297464-2 |access-date=2021-03-16 }}
References
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Category:Cacti of North America
Category:Flora of the Caribbean
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