Habit and habitat
Mature plants resemble a branched candelabrum. The species account in the cytological study gives an average height of eight to nine metres for old plants, whereas the earlier reproductive study notes that height can exceed 15 m. These dimensions concern plants in the wild. Cardón occurs on the Baja California peninsula, Gulf islands and coastal Sonora. The current POWO record places its range in northwestern Mexico as far as Durango. [Gutiérrez-Flores et al. 2018] [Fleming et al. 1994] [2-WWW]
Flowers and three sexual forms
Male, female and hermaphroditic plants have been documented on the Sonoran coast. Female flowers retain anthers but lack their own pollen, while male flowers retain a pistil with strongly reduced ovule development. External appearance can therefore make floral function difficult to assess. Hermaphrodites studied at Bahía Kino were self-compatible, but animal visits increased fruit set in this group as well. [Fleming et al. 1994]
Chromosome studies found diploids with 2n = 22 on Catalana and Cerralvo Islands and tetraploids with 2n = 44 in the other populations examined. The first two populations consisted of hermaphrodites. The remaining populations represented different systems involving unisexual plants. The authors described associations among geography, ploidy and reproduction, developing hypotheses about the evolutionary history of the species. The atlas retains one accepted species name in accordance with POWO. [Gutiérrez-Flores et al. 2018] [2-WWW]
Fruits and dispersal
Fleshy fruits with red pulp provide food for animals. On San Esteban Island, seeds pass through the digestive tracts of the iguanas Ctenosaura conspicuosa and Sauromalus varius. Such passage reduced germination in experiments, but fecal shielding allowed some seeds to retain germinability after sun exposure. The finding concerns specific island conditions and links a cost of digestion to protection after excretion. [Gutiérrez-Flores et al. 2018] [Salinas and Reynoso 2023]
Nitrogen from the sea
On islands with seabird colonies, P. pringlei can form exceptionally dense stands. Nitrogen isotope measurements on San Pedro Mártir and elsewhere in its range showed that cacti acquire nitrogen associated with guano. Birds connect the marine food web with desert island soils. The authors also consider plant density in relation to maritime climate and reduced pressure from some herbivores. [Wilder et al. 2022]
Related articles
Materials from the author's archive
The species also appears in Konrad Szychowski's private material archive. [Gorelick 2007] [Romulski 2005a]
Synonyms and names in the literature
Cereus calvus · Cereus pringlei · Cereus pringlei var. calvus · Cereus titan · Pachycereus calvus · Pachycereus pringlei f. calvus · Pachycereus pringlei f. constrictus · Pachycereus pringlei f. cristatus · Pachycereus pringlei f. gibbosus · Pachycereus titan · Pilocereus pringlei [2-WWW]