Oreocereus celsianus

Oreocereus celsianus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Core eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Cactaceae
Genus: Oreocereus
Species: O. celsianus
Binomial name
Oreocereus celsianus
(Salm-Dyck) A.Berger ex Riccob.
Synonyms[1]
  • Cereus celsianus (Lem. ex Salm-Dyck) A. Berger
  • Cleistocactus celesianus (Lem. ex Salm-Dyck) A. Weber
  • Cleistocactus tupizensis (Vaupel) Backeb. & F.M. Knuth
  • Oreocereus bruennowii (Haage ex Rumpler) Backeb.
  • Oreocereus celsianus var. bruennowii (Haage ex Rumpler) Borg
  • Oreocereus maximus Backeb.
  • Oreocereus neocelsianus Backeb.
  • Pilocereus bruennowii Haage ex Rumpler
  • Pilocereus celsianus Lem. ex Salm-Dyck

Oreocereus celsianus, or the "old man of the mountain" is a member of the family Cactaceae native to the high lands of the Andes in South America, and is named for its fluffy white hair, which may protect it from intense sunlight and extreme temperatures.

Distribution

Oreocereus celsianus occurs naturally at high altitudes across Argentina, Bolivia and Peru.

Description

Growing to around 3 metres (10 ft) tall, O. celsianus is covered in a downy white hair, with greatest density at the tips of stems receding to near-bare at the base. The ribbed body has many long, brown spines and blooms in spring with long, tubular red flowers.

Ecology

Pollinated by hummingbirds in spring.

Cultivation

Thrives at 10–12 °C (50–54 °F), with a frost-tolerance of down to −12 °C (10 °F) and requiring protection from hot sunlight. Prefers full sun and light watering. Propagates from seed.

Oreorcereus celsianus in pot

References

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Sunday, August 30, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.