Xerophyte

Description

Browningia candelarisSN|6316]]SN|6316]] is is a floristic Peruvian peculiarity and one of the most spectacular large candelabra cactus, with most grotesquely twisting branches springing from the apex of a straight very spiny trunk. The morphological behaviour of Browningia candelarisSN|6316]]SN|6316]] is also quite remarkable. In its juvenile stage it forms a very spiny solitary columnar stem up to 3 metres tall, but in age it start branching and loose lose all spines forming a candleholder tree up to more than 7 m tall, but usually much shorter (about 3 to 5 meters). The adult cacti are so strange that they are nearly impossible to confuse with other species. The flowers and fruits are found only on the spineless adult branches, high enough to escape the grazing of herbivores.

Flowers

Tubular, white, 8–12 cm produced in the long spineless branches. It flowers once a year for only 24 hours.

Spines

20-50 on trunks, straight brown, 6–15 cm long. Spines continue to grow on the trunk throughout the life of the cactus. Above the trunk the thinner branching stems, may be entirely spineless or bear spines reduced to a few bristles. Spines few or absent on juvenile stems, yellowish brown, very thin, brownish black, to 1,3 cm long.

Ribs

All the stems have about 50 ribs.

Stem

Trunk, about 2-3 m tall and 30-50 cm in diameter at base, erect, simple, tapering gradually upward, stoutly armoured by formidable spines that discourage predation by mega-herbivores and even by smaller ones. With time from the top of the trunk starts a cluster of sprawling  cylindrical snakelike branches often curving downward. Seedlings and young branches are very spiny, but in age the branches on the top of the plant become completely spineless. These spineless branches are so different from the spiny trunk that seems that they have been screwed onto the straight trunk of an entirely different species.

Fruits

Fleshy fruits, yellow when ripe and up to 7 cm long. The fruits are edible.

Areoles

Closely set.