Leptocereus quadricostatus

Leptocereus quadricostatus

Leptocereus quadricostatus (Bello) Britton & Rose

A species of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands with undulate rib margins and spiny floral structures. DNA analyses link it to Leptocereus grantianus. Stem resemblance to other leptocerei is assessed together with provenance and reproductive characters. [2-WWW] [Barrios et al. 2020a] [Majure et al. 2021a]

1 min readUpdated 12 October 2026

Range and comparative features

POWO accepts Leptocereus quadricostatus and gives a native range from Puerto Rico to the Virgin Islands. The 2021 comparison described its undulate rib margins and spiny floral pericarpel. These features resemble those of Hispaniolan L. velozianus, but the authors emphasised that this resemblance does not correspond to their closest relationship in the DNA tree. [2-WWW] [Majure et al. 2021a, POWO record 138288-2, consulted 12 October 2026, pp. 20–21 in the 2021 study]

Seeds and phylogenetic placement

The 2020 study of five plastid markers included 2 L. quadricostatus samples. One DNA lot was obtained from 3 dehydrated and frozen seedlings. The 2021 phylogeny used sample Majure 7111. Both analyses indicated a close relationship with L. grantianus and an association of this pair with L. paniculatus. DNA extraction from seedlings describes laboratory material and does not establish the species’ freezing tolerance under cultivation. [Barrios et al. 2020a, pp. 3, 9–10 in the 2020 study, pp. 20–21, 29–30, 37 in the 2021 study] [Majure et al. 2021a, pp. 3, 9–10 in the 2020 study, pp. 20–21, 29–30, 37 in the 2021 study]

Synonyms and names in the literature

Cereus quadricostatus · Neoabbottia quadricostata [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 ↗