Myrtillocactus cochal

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Myrtillocactus cochal

Spines

At the Jardin Exotique de Monaco
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)^[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Cactaceae
Subfamily:	Cactoideae
Genus:	Myrtillocactus
Species:	M. cochal
Binomial name
*Myrtillocactus cochal* (Orcutt) Britton & Rose
Synonyms^[2]
Cereus cochal Orcutt Cereus geometrizans var. cochal (Orcutt) K.Brandegee

Myrtillocactus cochal, the cochal or candelabra cactus (a name it shares with other plants), is a species of flowering plant in the family Cactaceae, native to the Baja California peninsula.^[2] Individuals can reach 3 m (10 ft), and are hardy to USDA zone 9b.^[3]

Description

Myrtillocactus cochal grows in the form of a shrub to a tree with richly branched, blue-green branches, reaches a height of 1 to 3 meters and usually forms a short trunk with 6 to 8 ribs. Areoles are 1-3 cm apart with a single, black central spine, which can occasionally be absent, is up to 2 cm long and5 radial spines are grayish or blackish and 5 - 10 mm long.

The light greenish white flowers have a darker central stripe, are 2.5 cm long and have the same diameter. They are open both day and night. The spherical, red fruits are edible and have a diameter of 1.2 to 1.8 cm.^[4]^[5]

Distribution

Myrtillocactus cochal is found on the edge of the Sonoran Desert in the Mexican states of Baja California and Baja California Sur.^[6]

Taxonomy

The first description as Cereus cochal was published in 1889 by Charles Russell Orcutt.^[7] Nathaniel Lord Britton and Joseph Nelson Rose placed the species in the genus Myrtillocactus in 1909.^[8] Nomenclature synonyms are Cereus geometrizans var. cochal (Orcutt) K.Brandegee (1900) and Myrtillocactus geometrizans var. cochal (Orcutt) W.T.Marshall (1941).

References

^ Burquez Montijo, A.; Felger, R.S. (2017) [amended version of 2013 assessment]. "Myrtillocactus cochal". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T152269A121529380. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T152269A121529380.en. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
^ ^a ^b "Myrtillocactus cochal (Orcutt) Britton & Rose". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
^ "Myrtillocactus cochal (Candelabra Cactus)". Succupedia. World of Succulents. 24 June 2018. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
^ Anderson, Edward F.; Eggli, Urs (2005). Das grosse Kakteen-Lexikon (in German). Ulmer. p. 437. ISBN 3-8001-4573-1.
^ Hunt, David R.; Taylor, Nigel P. (2006). The New Cactus Lexicon. Milborne Port: Hermes House. ISBN 978-0-9538134-5-2.
^ "Find Trees & Learn". University of Arizona Campus Arboretum. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
^ Orcutt, Charles Russell; History., San Diego Society of Natural (1889). The West-American scientist. Vol. v. 6:no.43 (1889). C.R. Orcutt. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
^ States., United (1908). "Contributions from the United States National Herbarium". Smithsonian Institution Press. Retrieved 27 August 2023.

Taxon identifiers
Myrtillocactus cochal	Wikidata: Q310099 Wikispecies: Myrtillocactus cochal CoL: 744ZD EoL: 5182054 GBIF: 3941600 GRIN: 438490 iNaturalist: 274226 IPNI: 166635-2 ITIS: 907603 IUCN: 152269 NCBI: 867465 Open Tree of Life: 661191 Plant List: tro-5100588 POWO: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:166635-2 RHS: 141252 Species+: 15467 Tropicos: 5100588 WFO: wfo-0001287217
Cereus cochal	Wikidata: Q14943603 CoL: SX6W GBIF: 5625515 GRIN: 454456 IPNI: 52904-2 POWO: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:52904-2 Tropicos: 5102336 WFO: wfo-0000596959

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