Slender stems and short shoots

In the 2023 revision, Leptocereus weingartianus has terminal segments 1–2 m long and 10–15 mm in diameter. There are 4–5(–6) ribs with straight or slightly undulate margins. Areoles are spaced 12–20 mm apart and usually bear 10–12(–15) spines measuring 10–20(–25) mm. The stems often use surrounding branches for support. Felted flowering short shoots up to 10 mm long may develop at their tips and later become woody. [Hoxey et al. 2023b, pp. 42–48]

Range and substrate

The revision authors identified this species around Lago Enriquillo, on the northern slopes of the Sierra de Bahoruco, in the Sierra Martín García and Cerro San Francisco, and on limestone rocks north of Port-au-Prince. They gave an elevation range of 40–800 m. Some populations occupy level ground with limestone-derived soil, while others grow on exposed karst. They occur within dry woodland of varying density. Stems were observed rooting on contact with the ground and producing new shoots. [Hoxey et al. 2023b, pp. 42–46]

Flowers and fruits

The nocturnal flowers are 50–55 mm long and about 20 mm in diameter. They occur singly or in small groups on short shoots or adjacent areoles. The fruit is elongated, about 70 × 35 mm, with spines 5–10 mm long. Mucilaginous pulp contains matt-black seeds measuring about 3.0 × 2.0–2.2 × 1.3 mm. Plants at the higher Sierra Martín García sites had more markedly undulate ribs than other observed populations. [Hoxey et al. 2023b, pp. 42–46]

Interpreting the historical name

The original description in 1904 concerned a young plant grown in Germany from seed originating in Haiti. Hoxey and colleagues considered the photograph of that material to resemble a seedling of L. paniculatus. They nevertheless retained the name L. weingartianus for the slender-stemmed plant associated with a subsequently designated epitype. Their revision separates some plants formerly described under a broad concept of L. weingartianus as L. rosei, L. bayahibensis and L. cremnophilus. Data attached to those historical labels are not automatically transferred to the present narrower concept. [Hoxey et al. 2023b, pp. 46–51, 57–61]

Synonyms and names in the literature

Cereus weingartianus · Neoabbottia weingartiana [2-WWW]