The open plant encyclopedia
Snap a photo or search by any name to see how to care for it, where it comes from, whether it's safe, and a 3D model you can turn.
The plants people record most in your country, and ones that grow there wild.
Filter by what you want to do, shape, origin, country, care and safety.
Cereus
Cereus ( "serious") is a genus of cacti (family Cactaceae) including around 33 species of large columnar cacti from South America. The name is derived from Greek (κηρός) and Latin words meaning "wax", "torch" or "candle". Cereus was one of the first cactus genera to be described; the circumscription varies depending on the authority. The term "cereus" is also sometimes used for a ceroid cactus, any cactus with a very elongated body, including columnar growth cacti and epiphytic cacti.
The range includes Brazil, northern Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Bolivia; more rarely it can be found in Peru, Colombia, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela. Certain species are also invasive in South Africa
The fruits and stems of C. repandus are edible, as is the fruit of many species in the genus; some perhaps have a laxative effect. The wood has been used in making furniture and for firewood, and sliced stems have been used as a soap substitute. The stems can be broken open for their pulp, a source of water. The plant is also cultivated as a living fence.
Cereus aethiops · Cereus albicaulis · Cereus bicolor · Cereus fernambucensis · Cereus forbesii · Cereus fricii · Lady of the night cactus · Hedge cactus · Cereus horrispinus · Cereus insularis · Queen Of The Night · Cereus lamprospermus
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Cereus (plant) by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
