Species circumscription and material from northern Peru
Plants of the World Online accepts Neoraimondia arequipensis as a species. The names N. gigantea and N. arequipensis subsp. roseiflora are among its synonyms. Alfaro Aguilera and colleagues described material from Tumbes as N. arequipensis subsp. gigantea. The traits and results cited below concern this regional material. [2-WWW]
In 2014 and 2019, 70 plants were identified in six districts of Tumbes. Of these, 62 were in Canoas de Punta Sal. A voucher specimen from Zorritos was deposited in the HUT herbarium as number 59825. Three flower-tissue samples were analysed by sequencing matK. Their similarity to the reference sequence was 99.87–99.88%. [Alfaro Aguilera et al. 2020, p. 538–540, tabele 1–2]
Habit and microhabitats in Tumbes
Observed plants ranged from 40 cm to over 5 m tall. Stems were green, partly woody in older individuals, with upright branches bearing 5–7 ribs. Areoles were sometimes distinctly elongated. Red flowers and fruits were found in some plants. The most frequent sites were on rocky and stony substrate near ravines, at 20–60 m. [Alfaro Aguilera et al. 2020, p. 539–540, ryc. 2]
The new data refined the northern range on Peru's coast. Plants provided food for squirrels Sciurus stramineus, wasps Polistes and ants Crematogaster. Stems also sheltered nests and provided resting places for birds. The observations document plant use, without quantitatively assessing its effects on the population. [Alfaro Aguilera et al. 2020, p. 539–541]
Extrafloral nectar on fruits
In May 2005 in the Chilete–Jequetepeque valley at 550 m, about 20 butterflies of Strymon jacqueline of both sexes fed on droplets secreted by fruits. The material was identified as N. arequipensis var. gigantea. At a second site, at 440 m, ants of Crematogaster and Pseudomyrmex consumed a similar secretion. An extrafloral food source was documented. The butterflies' role in effective pollination remained the authors' hypothesis. [Vila and Eastwood 2006, p. 125–127]
Extract properties in a technological experiment
In the study of an artificial kaolin suspension, stem extract gave about 92.6–92.8% turbidity reduction for the 1–3% solutions tested. The preparation was obtained from filtered juice after precipitation with 96% ethanol. The result describes flocculation in a specified laboratory system. Details of modelling and concurrent changes in water parameters are discussed in a separate article. [Choque-Quispe et al. 2020, p. 91–93, tabela 1]
Related articles
Materials from the author's archive
The species also appears in Konrad Szychowski's private material archive. [Kaktusy i Inne 2004, file p. 24, 25] [Romulski 2004c, file p. 27] [Kreuzinger 1935, file p. 21]
Synonyms and names in the literature
Cereus arequipensis · Cereus macrostibas · Cereus macrostibas var. roseiflorus · Neoraimondia arequipensis subsp. roseiflora · Neoraimondia arequipensis var. aticensis · Neoraimondia arequipensis var. rhodantha · Neoraimondia arequipensis var. riomajensis · Neoraimondia aticensis · Neoraimondia gigantea · Neoraimondia gigantea var. saniensis · Neoraimondia macrostibas · Neoraimondia macrostibas var. gigantea · Neoraimondia macrostibas var. roseiflora · Neoraimondia roseiflora · Pilocereus macrostibas [2-WWW]