Biology:Pilosocereus leucocephalus

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Short description: Species of plant in the genus Pilosocereus

Pilosocereus leucocephalus
Cereus senilis (3).jpg
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Cactaceae
Subfamily: Cactoideae
Genus: Pilosocereus
Species:
P. leucocephalus
Binomial name
Pilosocereus leucocephalus
(Poselg.) Byles & G.D.Rowley[1]
Synonyms[2]

Pilosocereus leucocephalus, called old man cactus (along with a number of similar species), old man of Mexico, tuno, and woolly torch, is a species of cactus in the genus Pilosocereus, native to Mexico and Central America.[2] It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[3] Pilosocereus leucocephalus functions as a keystone species in dry landscapes found in Mesoamerica. The fruit this cactus produces is relied upon as a source of hydration and sugar in arid areas by frugivores such as birds, bats, and even some reptiles.[4]

References

  1. Pilosocereus (Cactac.) Gen. Revis. Ampl.: 119 (1994)
  2. 2.0 2.1 "Pilosocereus leucocephalus (Poselg.) Byles & G.D.Rowley". Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2017. http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:196707-2. 
  3. "Pilosocereus leucocephalus". The Royal Horticultural Society. https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/141388/Pilosocereus-leucocephalus/Details. Retrieved 4 November 2020. 
  4. Vázquez‐Castillo, Shamira; Miranda‐Jácome, Antonio; Ruelas Inzunza, Ernesto (2019). "Patterns of frugivory in the columnar cactus Pilosocereus leucocephalus". Ecology and Evolution 9 (3): 1268–1277. doi:10.1002/ece3.4833. PMID 30805158. 

Wikidata ☰ Q292932 entry