Name and identification
Acanthocereus paradoxus is accepted by POWO as a species from Jalisco, Mexico. The original description distinguishes slender cylindrical adult stems, a dull green epidermis with darker margins and usually four central spines. Juvenile stems have more ribs and denser spination. [González-Zamora et al. 2020, abstract, POWO 77212696-1, 12.10.2026] [2-WWW]
Comparison with other species
In the 2026 comparison, juvenile stems usually had five ribs, occasionally six. Adult stems measured 0.75–1.1 cm in diameter. The plants studied were 0.5–1.6 m tall, and their flowers were 8.5–10 cm long. The stems of this material had an unmottled epidermis. Slight mottling and three or four juvenile stem ribs supported the recognition of the similar A. crypticus. [González-Zamora et al. 2026, pp. 4, table 2, pp. 6]
Habitat and phylogenetic research
The species occurs in seasonally dry environments in Jalisco. In the 2026 chloroplast phylogeny, the sampled plant belonged to a lineage also containing A. cuixmalensis and the populations described as A. crypticus. This result combines DNA comparisons with documented differences in stem structure. A detailed assessment of variation across the species requires broader population sampling. [2-WWW] [González-Zamora et al. 2026, POWO 77212696-1, 12.10.2026, pp. 3–4, 13]