Leptocereus nudiflorus

Leptocereus nudiflorus

Leptocereus nudiflorus (Engelm. ex C.Wright) D.Barrios & S.Arias

A Cuban tree cactus formerly described in the genus Dendrocereus. Its large nocturnal flowers and smooth fruits stand out among leptocerei. DNA studies distinguish it from the similar Leptocereus undulosus of Hispaniola. [Hoxey et al. 2023b] [Barrios et al. 2020a] [Majure et al. 2021a]

2 min readUpdated 12 October 2026

A large member of the genus

Leptocereus nudiflorus forms trees with a branching crown. Within the circumscription including former Dendrocereus, it belongs to a group with large white nocturnal flowers, a long narrow floral tube and smooth spineless fruits. The 2020 analysis demonstrates features shared with other leptocerei, including segmented stems, branching and areoles in depressions along rib margins. The size of these structures does not imply an origin separate from the whole genus. [Barrios et al. 2020a, pp. 6–7, 10–12 in the 2020 study, p. 22 in the 2023 revision] [Hoxey et al. 2023b, pp. 6–7, 10–12 in the 2020 study, p. 22 in the 2023 revision]

The Cuban species and its Hispaniolan counterpart

Current POWO retains L. nudiflorus as a Cuban species. Plastid DNA analyses in 2020 and 2021 separated it from L. undulosus. The 2021 study included 2 samples of each species, and each pair formed a separate lineage. Similar habit and floral structure are therefore accompanied by documented genetic differentiation. The former name Dendrocereus nudiflorus remains a synonym linked to this card. [2-WWW] [Barrios et al. 2020a, pp. 9–12 in the 2020 study, pp. 20–22, 31–32, 37 in the 2021 study] [Majure et al. 2021a, pp. 9–12 in the 2020 study, pp. 20–22, 31–32, 37 in the 2021 study]

Recruitment from seed

In the field discussion of the Hispaniolan revision, the scarcity of young L. undulosus plants was compared with a similar situation reported for Cuban L. nudiflorus. Large fruits and thick pericarps led the authors to consider animal involvement in seed release and dispersal. Identifying a particular effective disperser remains a separate research question. Seeds of L. nudiflorus were not included in the experiment on 10 Cuban taxa published in 2025, so its results are not assigned to this species here. [Hoxey et al. 2023b, pp. 24–26 in the 2023 revision, p. 3 and Table 1 in the 2025 study] [Barrios et al. 2025, pp. 24–26 in the 2023 revision, p. 3 and Table 1 in the 2025 study]

Materials from the author's archive

The species also appears in Konrad Szychowski's private material archive. [Kreuzinger 1935, file p. 21]

Synonyms and names in the literature

Cereus nudiflorus · Dendrocereus nudiflorus · Dendrocereus undulosus subsp. nudiflorus [2-WWW]

Sources for this account

Article2023b

A taxonomic revision of the genus Leptocereus (Cactaceae) in Haiti and the Dominican Republic

Hoxey P., Gdaniec A., Hernandez J. D., Guzmán M., Corniel W., Culham A., A taxonomic revision of the genus Leptocereus (Cactaceae) in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, Bradleya, 2023, 41:4-80, doi: 10.25223/brad.n41.2023.a3

Revision of nine Hispaniolan species based on fieldwork, herbarium material, and seed and seedling morphology. Includes descriptions, habitats, nomenclatural types and four new species. The identification of the L. demissus sample in the 2021 phylogeny is questioned. Dispersal by Cyclura remains a hypothesis, and some floral characters derive from earlier diagnoses or dried remnants.

GenusPhysiology and anatomyDistributionLeptocereus

DOI ↗Article or source page ↗

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 ↗

[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.

Article2025

Thermal Effects on Early Life Stages of Leptocereus (Cactaceae) Species from Cuban Seasonally Dry Tropical Forests

Barrios D., Sánchez J. A., González-Torres L. R., Flores J., Álvarez-Espino R., Thermal Effects on Early Life Stages of Leptocereus (Cactaceae) Species from Cuban Seasonally Dry Tropical Forests, Horticulturae, 2025, 11(12):1541, doi: 10.3390/horticulturae11121541

Controlled germination of seeds from 10 Cuban taxa under source names, in light and darkness, at constant and daily alternating temperatures. Demonstrates reduced germination in heat, recovery after cooling and viability differences. Results for L. maxonii, L. santamarinae and L. sylvestris remain separated as source populations of current L. sylvestris. Projections concern 2070.

GenusPhysiology and anatomyDistributionLeptocereus

DOI ↗Article or source page ↗

Book1935

Verzeichnis amerikanischer und anderer Sukkulenten mit Revision der Systematik der Kakteen

[Kreuzinger K., Verzeichnis amerikanischer und anderer Sukkulenten mit Revision der Systematik der Kakteen, 1935]

The historical 1935 account contains a succulent list and a revision of cactus systematics. A copy is preserved in Konrad Szychowski's private archive.

Genus

Copy in the supplied material