Leptocereus grantianus

Leptocereus grantianus

Leptocereus grantianus Britton

A species of Culebra Island in Puerto Rico. DNA studies place it together with Leptocereus quadricostatus in an Antillean lineage close to Leptocereus paniculatus. This card develops the documented range and relationships, the aspects best supported in the supplied papers. [2-WWW] [Barrios et al. 2020a] [Majure et al. 2021a]

1 min readUpdated 12 October 2026

Range and name

POWO accepts Leptocereus grantianus Britton and gives Culebra Island in Puerto Rico as its native range, within the seasonally dry tropical biome. The former combination Neoabbottia grantiana refers to the same species. Retaining both names helps locate earlier literature. [2-WWW]

Relationships in DNA studies

The 2020 and 2021 studies grouped L. grantianus and L. quadricostatus as a distinct pair within the Hispaniolan and Puerto Rican lineage. The tree species L. paniculatus occurred close to them. The 2021 analysis included one L. grantianus sample, Majure 6972. The result establishes its position relative to other sampled species. It does not describe genetic variation throughout the Culebra population or identify its pollinators. [Barrios et al. 2020a, pp. 9–10 in the 2020 study, pp. 20–21, 29–30, 37 in the 2021 study] [Majure et al. 2021a, pp. 9–10 in the 2020 study, pp. 20–21, 29–30, 37 in the 2021 study]

Synonyms and names in the literature

Neoabbottia grantiana [2-WWW]

Sources for this account

[2-WWW]Source website

Plants of the World Online — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

https://powo.science.kew.org/

Accepted names, synonyms and distribution. A citation beside a taxon leads to its record.

Accessed 2026-10-08.

Article2020a

Phylogeny and taxonomy of the Antillean endemic genus Leptocereus (Cactaceae) inferred from chloroplast markers and morphological evidence

Barrios D., González-Torres L. R., Arias S., Majure L. C., Phylogeny and taxonomy of the Antillean endemic genus Leptocereus (Cactaceae) inferred from chloroplast markers and morphological evidence, Plant Systematics and Evolution, 2020, 306:63, doi: 10.1007/s00606-020-01693-5

Analysis of five plastid DNA markers and 39 morphological characters supporting inclusion of Dendrocereus in Leptocereus. Distinguishes a Cuban lineage, former Dendrocereus, and Hispaniolan and Puerto Rican taxa. Describes species morphology and variation, with limited resolution within the Cuban lineage. Historical species concepts were compared with current POWO.

GenusPhysiology and anatomyDistributionLeptocereus

DOI ↗Article or source page ↗

Article2021a

Phylogenetics of Leptocereus (Cactaceae) on Hispaniola: clarifying species limits in the L. weingartianus complex and a new species from the Sierra de Bahoruco

Majure L. C., Encarnación Y., Clase T., Peguero B., Ho K., Barrios D., Phylogenetics of Leptocereus (Cactaceae) on Hispaniola: clarifying species limits in the L. weingartianus complex and a new species from the Sierra de Bahoruco, PhytoKeys, 2021, 172:17-37, doi: 10.3897/phytokeys.172.59497

Plastid phylogeny of Hispaniolan leptocerei and the original description of L. velozianus. Examines herbarium material, species limits and ranges. The concept of L. weingartianus is broader than in the 2023 revision. The sole sample identified as L. demissus in the phylogeny was subsequently questioned, limiting interpretation of that relationship.

GenusPhysiology and anatomyDistributionLeptocereus

DOI ↗Article or source page ↗