Stenocereus

{{Short description|Genus of plant in the family Cactaceae}} {{Automatic taxobox |image = Stenocereus thurberi.JPG |image_caption = Organ-pipe cactus ''[[Stenocereus thurberi]]'' |taxon = Stenocereus |authority = ([[Alwin Berger|A.Berger]]) [[Vincenzo Riccobono|Riccob.]] |subdivision_ranks = Species |subdivision = Several, see text |synonyms = *''Hertrichocereus'' [[Backeb.]] * ''Machaerocereus'' [[Nathaniel Lord Britton|Britton]] & [[Joseph Nelson Rose|Rose]] * ''Neolemaireocereus'' [[Backeb.]] * ''Rathbunia'' [[Nathaniel Lord Britton|Britton]] & [[Joseph Nelson Rose|Rose]] * ''Ritterocereus'' [[Backeb.]] |type_species =''[[Stenocereus stellatus]]'' }}

'''''Stenocereus''''', from [[Ancient Greek]] στενός (''stenós''), meaning "narrow", and Latin ''cēreus'', meaning "candle", is a [[genus]] of columnar or tree-like [[cactus|cacti]] from the [[Baja California Peninsula]] and other parts of [[Mexico]], [[Arizona]] in the [[United States]], [[Colombia]], [[Costa Rica]], [[Guatemala]], [[Venezuela]], and the [[West Indies]]. The genus has been enlarged by the addition of species from several other [[genus|genera]]. A close relative is the peculiar ''chinoa'' or ''chende'' cactus, ''[[Polaskia chende]]''.

==Description== The species within the genus exhibit varying growth habits, often resembling trees or shrubs. They can also stretch out or creep to form dense thickets, and some species develop well-formed trunks. The green shoots of these plants are cylindrical in shape and feature distinctive cylindrical ribs. From these ribs, woolly areoles are present, from which strong spines emerge. Additionally, some species may have warts, while others do not. The [[flower]]s are mostly borne near the [[wikt:apex|apex]] of the stems, funnel- or bell-shaped, and mostly nocturnal. The stem that supports the flowers (pericarpel) is often covered with numerous spiny areoles. They are considered easy to grow and generally grow slowly.<ref name="r220">{{cite book | last=Backeberg | first=Curt | title=Die Cactaceae: Handbuch der Kakteenkunde | publisher=G. Fischer | publication-place=Stuttgart New York | date=1982 | isbn=3-437-30383-X | language=de | page=2138-2155}}</ref>

''[[Stenocereus thurberi]]'' (the organ-pipe cactus) is a well-known member of this genus and is widely distributed in [[Arizona]] and northern Mexico.{{cn|date=March 2026}}

The fruit are similar to a [[dragon fruit]]. They are typically fleshy, up to {{cvt|7.5|cm|abbr=on}} in length, and adorned with thorns. The fruit tend to split open irregularly, and in most cases, the remnants of the flower remain attached until just before the fruit ripen. The seeds within the fruit are large, glossy, and usually dark black in color. They are also typically smooth in texture. Those of ''[[Stenocereus gummosus]]'', acidic and very refreshing, are highly favored by the [[Seri people|Seris]] of northwestern Mexico,<ref>Felger, Richard & Moser, Mary B. (1985): ''People of the desert and sea: ethnobotany of the Seri Indians''. University of Arizona Press, Tucson {{ISBN?}}</ref> who call the cactus ''ziix is ccapxl''<ref>{{Cite book|title=Inside Dazzling Mountains: Southwest Native Verbal Arts Native literatures of the Americas UPCC book collections on Project MUSE|last=Kozak|first=David L.|publisher=U of Nebraska Press|year=2013|isbn=9780803240865|pages=48–49}}</ref> – "thing whose fruit is sour". It is commonly known in [[Spanish language|Spanish]] as ''pitaya agria'', or by the English translation sour pitaya. ''[[Stenocereus griseus|S. griseus]]'' (dagger cactus) fruit, locally known as ''iguaraya'', are relished by the [[Wayuu people]] from the [[Guajira Peninsula]] of [[Colombia]].<ref name = villalobosetal2007>Villalobos, Soraya; Vargas, Orlando & Melo, Sandra (2007): Uso, manejo y conservacion de ''"yosú", Stenocereus griseus'' (Cactaceae) en la Alta Guajira colombiana [Usage, Management and Conservation of ''yosú, Stenocereus griseus'' (Cactaceae), in the Upper Guajira, Colombia]. [Spanish with English abstract] ''Acta Biológica Colombiana'' '''12'''(1): 99–112. [http://www.scielo.org.co/pdf/abc/v12n1/v12n1a8.pdf PDF fulltext] (2007)</ref>

''Stenocereus'' species are often used as [[ornamental plant]]s in hot and arid regions, and as noted above, some species can double as a fruit crop.

The interiors of ''Stenocereus'' trunks often grow to form tough, cane-like stakes suitable for certain kinds of construction. The Wayuu use those of dagger cactus for building [[wattle-and-daub]] walls, a technique they call ''yotojoro'', after their name for the cactus wood "canes".<ref name = villalobosetal2007 />

==Species== {{As of|2026|January}}, [[Plants of the World Online]] accepts these species:<ref name="h587">{{cite web | title=Stenocereus (A.Berger) Riccob. | website=Plants of the World Online | url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:1079988-2#children | access-date=2025-10-18}}</ref> {| class="wikitable" |- ! Image !! Scientific name !! Common name !! Distribution |- |[[File:Stenocereus alamosensis (5768640867).jpg|frameless|160x160px]]|| ''[[Stenocereus alamosensis]]'' (J.M. Coult.) A.C. Gibson & K.E. Horak||Octopus cactus, ''cina'' || Mexico |- |[[File:Hertrichocereus beneckei.jpg|120px]] || ''[[Stenocereus beneckei]]'' (Ehrenb.) A. Berger & Buxb.|| || Central Mexico |- | || ''[[Stenocereus chacalapensis]]'' (Bravo & T. MacDoug.) Buxb.|| || Oaxaca - Mexico |- | || ''[[Stenocereus chrysocarpus]]'' Sánchez-Mej.|| || Guerrero and Michoacán, Mexico |- |[[File:Stenocereus eruca-IMG 6486.JPG|120px]] || ''[[Stenocereus eruca]]'' (Brandegee) A.C. Gibson & K.E. Horak||Creeping devil caterpillar cactus || Baja California Sur - Mexico |- | || ''[[Stenocereus fricii]]'' Sánchez-Mej.||Pitayo De Aguas || Colima, Jalisco, Michoacan de Ocampo - Mexico |- |[[File:Stenocereus griseus (1).jpg|120px]] || ''[[Stenocereus griseus]]'' (Haw.) Buxb.||Dagger cactus, ''yosú'' ([[Wayuu language|Wayuunaiki]]) || Mexico to Venezuela |- |[[File:RanchoPuntaSanCristobal34.JPG|120px]] || ''[[Stenocereus gummosus]]'' (Engelm.) A. Gibson & K.E. Horak||Sour pitaya, ''pitaya agria, ziix is ccapxl'' ([[Seri language|Cmiique iitom]]) || Baja California (Norte), Baja California Sur - Mexico |- |[[File:Pájara La Lajita - Oasis Park - x05 01 ies.jpg|120px]] ||''[[Stenocereus heptagonus]]'' (L.) Mottram || ||Greater Antilles to Virgin Islands |-

|[[File:Stenocereus huastecorum.jpg|120px]] || ''[[Stenocereus huastecorum]]'' Alvarado-Sizzo, Arreola-Nava & Terrazas|| || Northeastern and central Mexico |-

| ||''[[Stenocereus humilis]]'' (Britton & Rose) D.R.Hunt || ||Central Colombia |- |[[File:Stenocereus kerberi 1.jpg|120px]] || ''[[Stenocereus kerberi]]'' (K. Schum.) A.C. Gibson & K.E. Horak|| || Colima, Sinaloa - Mexico |- |[[File:Stenocereus martinezii flower.jpg|120px]]|| ''[[Stenocereus martinezii]]'' (J.G. Ortega) Buxb.||Pitahayo, Pitayo || Sinaloa - Mexico |- |[[File:Pitaya sonora.jpg|120px]] || ''[[Stenocereus montanus]]'' (Britton & Rose) Buxb.|| || Chihuahua, Colima, Jalisco, Nayarit, Sinaloa, Sonora - Mexico |- |[[File:Stenocereus species (5723050573).jpg|120px]] || ''[[Stenocereus pruinosus]]'' (Otto ex Pfeiff.) Buxb.|| || Chiapas, Guerrero, Oaxaca, Puebla, Tamaulipas, Veracruz-Llave - Mexico |- |[[File:Bwy1257508914v.JPG|120px]] || ''[[Stenocereus queretaroensis]]'' F.A.C.Weber ex Mathes.) Buxb.|| || Colima, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Michoacan de Ocampo, Queretaro de Zaragoza - Mexico |- |[[File:Stenocereus quevedonis 1.jpg|120px]]|| ''[[Stenocereus quevedonis]]'' (J.G. Ortega) Buxb.||Pitire || Sinaloa - Mexico |- |[[File:Stenocereus standleyi 1.jpg|120px]]|| ''[[Stenocereus standleyi]]'' (J.G. Ortega) Buxb.||Pitaya Marismena || Guerrero, Sinaloa - Mexico |- |[[File:Stenocereus stellatus 01.jpg|120px]] || ''[[Stenocereus stellatus]]'' (Pfeiff.) Riccob.||Baja organ pipe cactus || Oaxaca, Morelos, Puebla - Mexico |- |[[File:Glandulicereus thurberi (5781366444).jpg|120px]] || ''[[Stenocereus thurberi]]'' (Engelm.) Buxb.||Organpipe cactus || Baja California (Norte), Baja California Sur, Sinaloa, Sonora - Mexico, Arizona - United States |- |[[File:Stenocereus treleasei (5752018680).jpg|120px]] || ''[[Stenocereus treleasei]]'' (Vaupel) Backeb.||Tunillo || Oaxaca - Mexico |- |[[File:Stenocereus zopilotensis 1.jpg|120px]]||''[[Stenocereus zopilotensis]]'' Arreola-Nava & Terrazas|| ||Mexico (Guerrero) |- |}

<gallery> File:Sguaro1.jpg|Close-up of organpipe cactus (''[[Stenocereus thurberi|S. thurberi]]'') spines File:Fruto de Stenocereus queretaroensis.jpg|Fruit of ''[[Stenocereus queretaroensis]]'' prepared for eating File:Stenocereus gummosus Huntington Desert Garden.jpg|''[[Stenocereus gummosus]]'' at the [[Huntington Desert Garden]]. </gallery>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==Further reading== * Anderson, Edward F. (2001): ''The Cactus Family'' {{ISBN?}} * Innes, C. & Wall, B. (1995): ''Cacti, Succulents and Bromaliads''. Cassell & The Royal Horticultural Society.{{ISBN?}}

==External links== {{Commons category}} * {{Wikispecies-inline}} * [http://www.cactiguide.com/ cactiguide.com]

[[Category:Stenocereus| ]] [[Category:Cactoideae genera]] [[Category:Cacti of North America]] [[Category:Taxa named by Alwin Berger]] [[Category:Taxa named by Vincenzo Riccobono]]