Stenocereus stellatus

Stenocereus stellatus is a flowering plant in the family Cactaceae that is found in Oaxaca, Mexico

Description
Stenocereus stellatus grows tree-shaped or shrub-like with shoots branching from the base and reaches heights of 2 to 4 meters. A short trunk is formed. The dark green to bluish green, upright shoots have a diameter of 7 to 10 centimeters. There are eight to twelve blunt, rounded ribs divided into cusps that are up to 2 centimeters high. The usually three gray central spines are 2 to 6 centimeters long. One of them is directed downwards, the others upwards. The seven to nine radiating gray marginal spines have a darker tip. They are shorter than the central spines.

The tubular to narrow bell-shaped, light pink flowers appear near the top of the shoot and open at night. They are 4.5 to 9 centimeters long. The spherical, green or red fruits reach a diameter of 5 to 6 centimeters. The pulp is white or red.

Distribution
Stenocereus stellatus is widespread in the Mexican states of Guerrero, Morelos, Puebla and Oaxaca at altitudes of 500 to 2,000 m.

Taxonomy
The first description as Cereus stellatus was made in 1836 by Ludwig Georg Karl Pfeiffer. The specific epithet stellatus comes from Latin, means 'star-shaped' and refers to the arrangement of the thorns on the areoles of the species. Spanish common names are “Pitayo” and “Xoconostle”. Vincenzo Riccobono placed the species in the genus Stenocereus in 1909. Other nomenclature synonyms are Lemaireocereus stellatus (Pfeiff.) Britton & Rose (1909), Neolemaireocereus stellatus (Pfeiff.) Backeb. (1942) and Rathbunia stellata (Pfeiff.) P.V.Heath (1992).