Xerophyte

Seeds

Blackish. 2.2-2.8 mm in diameter, shiny, and smooth.

Description

Lophocereus schottiiSN|8344]]SN|8344]] is a slow-growing usually trunkless cactus that forms numerous tall, ascending, columnar stems which branch mostly at or near the base in a candelabra-like arrangement.

Flowers

This species blooms in the apical 'hairy' part of the stems. Flowers are nocturnal, open at dusk and continue until early morning when the sun burns them out, but on cool days (e.g.. in March) sometimes remaining open part of the day. They are 3-5 cm long, 4-4.5 cm wide greenish white on the underside and pinkish white inside, and emit an unpleasant odour.

Blooming Season

One or several flowers are produced from each areole during most of the year, mainly from (March-)April to September(-December).

Spines

One of the most distinguishing features is that the tips of the mature (fertile), taller stems are covered with about twenty sharp long, hairlike, strongly twisted grey bristles often 4-10 cm long. In contrast to the long spines at the tips of mature stems, the juvenile plants have only about five short conical spines as short as 5-7 mm, thick, rigid, not twisted.

Ribs

Ribs in juvenile and young stems are fewer 5-6(rarely 7) and widely-spaced, ribs in the upper thinner (fertile) portion of the stem increase in number to 6-8. Occasionally the ends of stems will spiral a little or dramatically in a right or left hand manner Such top cuttings are much prized by enthusiasts, fetching high prices.

Stem

Usually 2-4 metres tall (but can grow up to 7 m high), 8 to 16 cm in diameter, mostly erect and slightly tapering toward the upper part reproductive part which do not exceeds 5-10 cm in diameter, grey-green with a waxy bloom on the surface. A distinctive characteristic of this species is that the cut stem surfaces quickly turn black.

Fruits

The edible fruits are rounded, mostly 2.3-4.0 cm in diameter, as red as ripe strawberries (with a red pulp), spineless or nearly so and are seldom seen. Fruiting April-December. the peak often in June when the upper stems may be loaded with fruits.

Areoles

In the bottom part of the stems are oval and bears white wool.