Acanthocereus tetragonus
(L.) Hummelinck
Cactaceae
Acanthocereus baxaniensis (Karw. ex Pfeiff.) Borg
Acanthocereus colombianus Britton & Rose
Acanthocereus floridanus Small ex Britton & Rose
Acanthocereus horridus Britton & Rose
Acanthocereus occidentalis Britton & Rose
Acanthocereus pentagonus (L.) Britton & Rose
Acanthocereus pitajaya (DC.) Dugand ex Croizat
Acanthocereus princeps (Pfeiff.) Backeb.
Acanthocereus subinermis Britton & Rose
Cactus pentagonus L.
Cactus prismaticus Willd.
Cactus reptans Salm-Dyck ex DC.
Cactus tetragonus L.
Cereus baxaniensis Karw. ex Pfeiff.
Cereus dussii K.Schum.
Cereus horribilis A.Berger
Cereus nitidus Salm-Dyck
Cereus pentagonus (L.) Haw.
Cereus pitajaya DC.
Cereus princeps Pfeiff.
Cereus prismaticus (Willd.) Haw. ex Steud.
Cereus reptans Haw. ex Steud.
Cereus tetragonus (L.) Mill.
Cereus undulatus Pfeiff.
Cereus variabilis Engelm.
Cereus vasmerii Young
Common Name: Barbed Wire Cactus
Plant growing in South Texas
Photograph by: homeredwardprice
Creative Commons Attribution 2.0
Plant growing in South Texas
Photograph by: homeredwardprice
Creative Commons Attribution 2.0
Single fruit on plant
Photograph by: Jim Conrad
Public domain
Close-up of stems
Photograph by: Kurt Stüber
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
Close-up of flower
Photograph by: Not known
Public domain
Drawing of the plant
Photograph by: Mary Emily Eaton
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0
General Information
Acanthocereus tetragonus is a gaunt,spiny, leafless succulent shrub of desert areas growing around 2 - 7 metres tall. It has arching stems up to 5cm in diameter, that sometimes root where they touch the ground[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
,
1987- Title
- The Cactus Family
- Publication
-
- Author
- Anderson E.F.
- Publisher
- Timber Press; Portland, Oregon
- Year
- 2001
- ISBN
- 0-88192-498-9
- Description
- An excellent work, giving botanical descriptions of virtually all the cacti, together with their range (but not their habitats) and sometimes also a photo. it also contains a long chapter detailing the many uses of cacti and another on cultivation..
].
The plant is harvested from the wild by local people for its edible fruit and stems[
46- Title
- Dictionary of Economic Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Uphof. J. C. Th.
- Publisher
- Weinheim
- Year
- 1959
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
]. The fruits are often sold in local markets in Guatemala[
1996- Title
- Las Cactáceae de Guatemala
- Publication
-
- Author
- Véliz M.E.
- Publisher
- Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, Guatemala
- Year
- 2008
- ISBN
- 99922-2-551-3
- Description
-
]. The plant is grown as a living fence to act as a barrier and boundary marker.
Acanthocereus tetragonus is widespread and very abundant throughout its range, and there are no known threats. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2017)[
338- Title
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.iucnredlist.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
,
1987- Title
- The Cactus Family
- Publication
-
- Author
- Anderson E.F.
- Publisher
- Timber Press; Portland, Oregon
- Year
- 2001
- ISBN
- 0-88192-498-9
- Description
- An excellent work, giving botanical descriptions of virtually all the cacti, together with their range (but not their habitats) and sometimes also a photo. it also contains a long chapter detailing the many uses of cacti and another on cultivation..
Range
Northern S. America - Venezuela, north to Mexico, Florida, Texas and the West Indies.
Habitat
Sandy soils of dense thickets, hammocks, bottomlands of coastal areas, at elevations from sea level to 10 metres[
270- Title
- Flora of N. America
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses.
].
Properties
| Conservation Status | Least Concern |
| Edibility Rating |  |
| Medicinal Rating |  |
| Other Uses Rating |  |
| Habit | Evergreen Tree |
| Height | 4.00 m |
| Pollinators | Hawkmoths |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
Acanthocereus tetragonus is a plant of the arid tropics and subtropics.
Grows in humus-poor, sandy, well drained soils in a sunny position. Prefers a pH in the range 6 - 7.5[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
The white flowers open overnight[
338- Title
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.iucnredlist.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
,
1987- Title
- The Cactus Family
- Publication
-
- Author
- Anderson E.F.
- Publisher
- Timber Press; Portland, Oregon
- Year
- 2001
- ISBN
- 0-88192-498-9
- Description
- An excellent work, giving botanical descriptions of virtually all the cacti, together with their range (but not their habitats) and sometimes also a photo. it also contains a long chapter detailing the many uses of cacti and another on cultivation..
].
Edible Uses
Fruit - raw. The bright red fruits are juicy, sweet and edible[
46- Title
- Dictionary of Economic Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Uphof. J. C. Th.
- Publisher
- Weinheim
- Year
- 1959
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
,
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
,
270- Title
- Flora of N. America
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses.
,
301- Title
- Cornucopia II
- Publication
-
- Author
- Facciola. S.
- Publisher
- Kampong Publications, California.
- Year
- 1998
- ISBN
- 0-9628087-2-5
- Description
- The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
]. Of good quality[
1990- Title
- Cacti Biology and Uses
- Publication
-
- Author
- Nobel, Park S. (Editor)
- Publisher
- University of California Press; Berkeley, California
- Year
- 2002
- ISBN
- 0-520-23157-0
- Description
- A lot of information about the uses and cultivation of Cacti native to central Mexico
]. The ovoid to oblong fruits are 30 - 80mm long[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
,
270- Title
- Flora of N. America
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses.
].
Young tender stems - cooked[
301- Title
- Cornucopia II
- Publication
-
- Author
- Facciola. S.
- Publisher
- Kampong Publications, California.
- Year
- 1998
- ISBN
- 0-9628087-2-5
- Description
- The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
,
1438- Title
- Food Plants in the Americas: A Survey of the Domesticated, Cultivated, and Wild Plants Used for Human Food in North,
- Publication
-
- Author
- Kermath B.M.; Bennett B.C.' Pulsipher L.M.
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 2014
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A pre-publication draft of an amazing, on-going work first started in 1985. It contains information on more than 3,900 taxa from the Americas - from Arctic regions to the Tropics
].
Medicinal
The plant is used medicinally[
1990- Title
- Cacti Biology and Uses
- Publication
-
- Author
- Nobel, Park S. (Editor)
- Publisher
- University of California Press; Berkeley, California
- Year
- 2002
- ISBN
- 0-520-23157-0
- Description
- A lot of information about the uses and cultivation of Cacti native to central Mexico
]. No more details
Agroforestry Uses:
The plant is often grown as a living fence in order to mark out boundaries and act as a barrier to grazing animals[
1438- Title
- Food Plants in the Americas: A Survey of the Domesticated, Cultivated, and Wild Plants Used for Human Food in North,
- Publication
-
- Author
- Kermath B.M.; Bennett B.C.' Pulsipher L.M.
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 2014
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A pre-publication draft of an amazing, on-going work first started in 1985. It contains information on more than 3,900 taxa from the Americas - from Arctic regions to the Tropics
,
1990- Title
- Cacti Biology and Uses
- Publication
-
- Author
- Nobel, Park S. (Editor)
- Publisher
- University of California Press; Berkeley, California
- Year
- 2002
- ISBN
- 0-520-23157-0
- Description
- A lot of information about the uses and cultivation of Cacti native to central Mexico
]. Its prickly stems can make a stock-proof barrier 3 metres tall[
1996- Title
- Las Cactáceae de Guatemala
- Publication
-
- Author
- Véliz M.E.
- Publisher
- Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, Guatemala
- Year
- 2008
- ISBN
- 99922-2-551-3
- Description
-
]. It is often used in combination with Acanthocereus hirschtianus and Selenicereus guatemalensis[
1996- Title
- Las Cactáceae de Guatemala
- Publication
-
- Author
- Véliz M.E.
- Publisher
- Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, Guatemala
- Year
- 2008
- ISBN
- 99922-2-551-3
- Description
-
].
Other Uses
None known
Propagation
Seed -
If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.
Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
