Xerophyte

Seeds

Dark-brown to almost black, oval approximately 0.76-1.5 mm long and up to 1.1 mm wide, somewhat warty tessellate.

Description

Echinopsis terscheckiiSN|6867]]SN|8744]] best known in cultivation as Trichocereus terscheckiiSN|8746]]SN|8746]] is a huge treelike cactus species, called in Argentina cardon grande. At first columnar, and usually in age with numerous large arms, 10 to 12 meters high.

Similar Species

It has frequently been confused with another species, Echinopsis pasacanaSN|8744]]SN|6867]], of the same region, but it is larger, more branched, with fewer ribs, different spines, and larger flowers.

Flowers

Very large, nocturnal, borne laterally, bell shaped to funnelform, white, 15 to 20 cm long, 12.5 cm broad; inner perianth-segments oblong, 7 cm. long, acute, white; outer perianth-segments dark red to greenish, pericarpel green, scales on the pericarpel and flower-tube ovate, mucronate-tipped, their axils filled with long whitish or brown wool. Flowers appear to be pollinated by bats.

Blooming Season

The plants flower at various times of the year, but primarily during the rainy season (Summer).

Spines

8 to 15, often more in older areoles, yellowish to brownish, subulate, yellow, 1-8 cm or more long.

Ribs

8 to 14(-18), obtuse, prominent, 2 to 4 cm high, obtuse.

Stem

Trunk up to 45 cm in diameter, distinct woody, branching well above ground level; branches several cylindrical, columnar, erect, 10 to 20 cm in diameter.

Fruits

Globose or oblong green to blue about 1.3-5 cm in diameter, with acute scales woolly in the axils. Residents of their habitat have reported that the fruits are edible, but inferior to those of the pasacana.

Areoles

Large, 1 to 1.5 cm in diameter, brownish felted, 2 to 3 cm apart.