Leucostele terscheckii
species of plant
Leucostele terscheckii, commonly known as the cardon grande cactus or Argentine saguaro, is a large cactus native to South America and popular in cultivation.
Description
It is a columnar, branching cactus that can grow over 7.6 metres (25 ft) tall. Its branches are about 25 cm (9.8 in) in diameter with 8 to 14 ribs. Branches are cylindrical, fleshy, light green. The branches are 10-20 cm in diameter, with 8-14 blunt ribs. It has large brownish areoles about 2.5 cm (0.98 in) apart with 8 to 15 yellowish spines, 8.3–10 cm (3.3–3.9 in) long, a central one, sometimes absent, and 8-15 radial. The nocturnal funnel-shaped white flowers can grow up to 15–20 cm (5.9–7.9 in) long and 13–15 cm (5.1–5.9 in) wide. Pericarp and flower tube with dense white or brown axillary hairs. The round or oblong blue fruits are about 1.3 cm (0.51 in) in diameter and contain black to brown, oval seeds approximately 0.76 mm (0.030 in) long.
Distribution
It is native to several provinces including Jujuy, Tucumán, La Rioja, San Juan, Catamarca and Salta provinces in northwestern Argentina, and is the eponymous cactus of Los Cardones National Park in Salta Province.
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