Candelabra cactus

Description

Isolatocereus dumortieri is the only plant species of the monotypic genus Isolatocereus in the cactus family (Cactaceae). The botanical name of the genus derives from the Italian verb isolato for 'isolated' from. The specific epithet dumortieri honors Belgian botanist Barthélemy Charles Joseph Dumortier. Common names are "Candelabro", "Organo" and "Pitayo". The very large, tree-like and candelabra-like Isolatocereus dumortieri reaches heights of growth of 5 to 15 meters and has a well-developed trunk of more than 1 meter in length. Its blue-green, erect, somewhat inward-curved shoots have constrictions, grow up to 10 meters long and reach a diameter of between 5 and 15 centimeters. The 5 to 8 ribs are blunt triangular and up to 2 centimeters high. The areoles flow together with age. The 1 to 4 central spines are yellowish white and up to 5 centimeters long. The yellowish-white 6 to 9 radial spines, which darken with age, are up to 1 centimeter long. The odorless flowers arise from areoles near the shoot tips, which bloom several times and occasionally form small crowns. They open during the night and stay open until noon the following day. The flowers are tubular to funnel-shaped, short, pale green to white and up to 2.5 to 3.5 centimeters long. The obovate, edible fruits with a prematurely falling flower remnant remain green for a long time and later turn orange to red. They are 2.5 to 3.5 centimeters long and covered with small, red scales. The 1.5 millimeter large seeds are black. Isolatocereus dumortieri is widespread in the Mexican states of Oaxaca, Hidalgo, Morelos, Guerrero, Puebla, and Michoacán. The first description as Cereus dumortieri by Michael Joseph François Scheidweiler was published in 1837. Curt Backeberg placed the species in the genus Isolatocereus, which he newly established in 1942. Other nomenclatural synonyms are Lemaireocereus dumortieri (Scheidw.) Britton & Rose (1909), Stenocereus dumortieri (Scheidw.) Buxb. (1961) and Rathbunia dumortieri (Scheidw.) PVHeath (1992). In the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the species is listed as "Least Concern (LC)". H. listed as not endangered.