A distinct genus and historical treatments
Current POWO retains Isolatocereus as a distinct genus. Its species has also been treated as Stenocereus dumortieri, Rathbunia dumortieri and Lemaireocereus dumortieri. These names refer to the same plant. In the 2025 phylogenomic classification, the broad historical Stenocereus includes several distinct lineages, with Isolatocereus recognized separately. [2-WWW] [de Vos et al. 2025]
Stems as an ecological resource
Water stored in the tissues supports mature plants during the dry season. At Barranca de Metztitlán, flowers and fruits develop during this period and provide animals with nectar, pollen and pulp. Measurements of water storage and carbon content in I. dumortieri explicitly considered the size and branching of individual plants. [Pavón et al. 2016] [Cruz and Pavón 2013]