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Useful Tropical Plants

Acanthocereus tetragonus

(L.) Hummelinck

Cactaceae

+ Synonyms

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

Acanthocereus tetragonus
Plant growing in South Texas
Photograph by: homeredwardprice
Creative Commons Attribution 2.0
Acanthocereus tetragonus Acanthocereus tetragonus Acanthocereus tetragonus Acanthocereus tetragonus Acanthocereus tetragonus

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 StatusLeast Concern
Edibility Rating *  *  *
Medicinal Rating *
Other Uses Rating *  *
HabitEvergreen Tree
Height4.00 m
PollinatorsHawkmoths
Cultivation StatusWild

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 -
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-12-06. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Acanthocereus+tetragonus>

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