Plant structure
The regional flora describes stems 3–5 m tall and 4–8 cm wide. There are usually 8–12 ribs, occasionally more. Areoles remain separate, and radial and central spines differ in length and orientation. Whitish-green flowers develop at branch ends. Fruits bear bracts, hairs, spines and bristles. [Arias et al. 2012]
Habitat and seasonal rhythm
The species occurs in seasonally deciduous tropical forest and xerophytic shrubland. In the northern valley it is associated with shallow soils derived from limestone. The flora gives the usual elevation range as 1500–1900 m, extending down to about 900 m. In that regional treatment, flowering occurs in April–July and fruiting in May–September. [Arias et al. 2012]
Living fences and selection for fruit
An ethnobotanical study published under Pachycereus hollianus documents the use of stems for living fences, wood for construction and fruits for food. Interviews and observations in the Zapotitlán Valley showed that plants with desirable fruits, especially larger, sweeter fruits with red pulp, were retained and protected. The authors described six locally recognized fruit variants and interpreted management of these populations as an early stage of domestication. [Rodríguez-Arévalo et al. 2006]
Names in the literature
The currently accepted name is Lemaireocereus hollianus. Cereus hollianus and Pachycereus hollianus are synonyms. Retaining these names in searches connects historical descriptions and management studies with the same species. [2-WWW]
Related articles
Materials from the author's archive
The species also appears in Konrad Szychowski's private material archive. [Kaktusy i Inne 2005a]
Synonyms and names in the literature
Cereus hollianus · Pachycereus hollianus · Pachycereus hollianus f. cristatus [2-WWW]