Leaves and woody stems
Leuenbergeria retains broad leaf blades, and its stems become woody over time. Leaf axils contain areoles, shortened shoots that produce spines among other structures. The appearance of a tree or branched shrub combines here with structure characteristic of cacti. Species in this group develop a corky stem covering early, and young stems lack stomata. This limits their contribution to atmospheric CO₂ uptake. [Lodé 2013] [Mauseth and Landrum 1997]
There are clear habitat differences within the genus. Leuenbergeria bleo is associated with the wet tropics of Panama and northwestern Colombia. Leuenbergeria guamacho also grows in seasonally dry communities in Venezuela. Large leaves therefore do not define a single pattern of water management or the same dormancy rhythm in all species. [2-WWW] [Edwards and Diaz 2006]
Areoles remain active for many seasons. In some species, they develop leaves on short shoots and also new spines on old trunks. Leuenbergeria bleo differs in lacking typical short-shoot leaves. Consequently, loss of large leaves and later renewal of foliage follow different courses depending on the species. [Leuenberger 2008]
Why the genus name changed
DNA analyses published in 2005 showed that the former Pereskia did not form a single lineage containing all descendants of a common ancestor. Eight species belonged to a separate branch. Lodé named this group Leuenbergeria, commemorating Beat Ernst Leuenberger, a researcher of leafy cacti. The atlas adopts current POWO names and retains names from earlier publications as synonyms. [Edwards et al. 2005] [Butterworth and Wallace 2005] [Lodé 2013] [2-WWW]
The issue describing Leuenbergeria is dated January 2013, while POWO gives 2013 for the names with a note of actual publication in 2012. Former combinations also continued to be used later. The 2017 paper on bleogens concerns Leuenbergeria bleo, although its authors use the name Pereskia bleo. Assignment of a result depends on the identity of the species studied, rather than the year or name of the folder containing the file. [Lodé 2013] [2-WWW] [Loo et al. 2017]
Different reproductive pathways
The Caribbean group comprising Leuenbergeria marcanoi, L. portulacifolia, L. quisqueyana and L. zinniiflora is functionally dioecious. Flowers functioning as male and female occur on separate plants, despite retaining reduced organs of the other sex. This trait matters when documenting specimens and planning seed production. It does not describe the whole genus. [Areces-Mallea 1992] [Leuenberger 2008]
Large storage roots have been observed in several species. Leuenberger recorded them in Leuenbergeria guamacho, L. quisqueyana and L. zinniiflora, among others. Underground storage tissue allows a different interpretation of a plant whose above-ground branches appear only slightly succulent. The presence of a thickening alone, however, does not demonstrate that a detached root can produce a new shoot. [Leuenberger 2008]
Matching conditions to the species
Moisture-loving Leuenbergeria bleo grows more strongly in warm, humid conditions, and an experiment reducing water supply showed reduced foliage. For L. lychnidiflora, long-term botanical-garden practice indicated a need for a warm greenhouse even in winter. L. guamacho withstands seasonal drought, but drying one greenhouse specimen did not induce flowering. These differences support managing plants separately according to species and growth phase. [Leuenberger 2008] [Dullah et al. 2019]
Research and its scope
The physiology of Leuenbergeria guamacho, peptides of Leuenbergeria bleo and seed development of Leuenbergeria lychnidiflora describe different traits in three species. Results are placed in their respective profiles. Present-day species of the genus retain some traits useful for reconstructing early Cactaceae evolution, but they too have undergone a long evolutionary history. [Edwards and Diaz 2006] [Loo et al. 2017] [Jiménez-Durán et al. 2014] [Edwards et al. 2005]