Haageocereus fascicularis

Haageocereus fascicularis commonly known as 'Quisco de la precordillera de Arica' is a species of cactus from the family Cactaceae. It is endemic to southern Peru and northern Chile.

Description
Haageocereus fascicularis grows as a shrub with ascending to upright, gray-green shoots that branch from the base and reach a length of 0.5 to 1 meter with diameters of 4 to 7 cm. There are eleven to 18 blunt ribs. The one or two straight central spines are 4 to 15 cm long. The seven to ten spreading radial spines are 1 to 4 cm long.

The white, strongly scented flowers reach a length of 7 to 8.5 cm. Its pericarpel and flower tube are covered with hairs and reddish scales. The egg-shaped fruits are bright red.

Distribution
Haageocereus fascicularis is distributed in Chile from Arica to Tarapacá.

Taxonomy
The first description as Cereus fascicularis was made in 1833 by Franz Julius Ferdinand Meyen. The specific epithet fascicularis means 'bundle-like, tuft-like'. Friedrich Ritter placed the species in the genus Haageocereus in 1980. Further nomenclature synonyms are Echinocactus fascicularis (Meyen) Steud. (1840), Cactus fascicularis (Meyen) Meyen (1843), Cereus fascicularis (Meyen) K.Schum. (1897, nom. inval.), Trichocereus fascicularis (Meyen) Britton & Rose (1920) and Weberbauerocereus fascicularis (Meyen) Backeb. (1942).