Common Name:

General Information

Pachycereus eichlamii is a spiny, succulent, tree-like cactus with erect columnar stems; rarely branching, the plant can grow up to 6 metres tall[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and source of materials. It is grown as a living fence in Guatemale[].
There is continued taxanomic uncertainty regarding the definition of Pachycereus eichlamii, which makes it impossible to clearly define the limits of its distribution. At least one of the three subpopulations known in Guatemala is likely to be severely threatened, yet populations in Yucatán, Mexico, remain large. Therefore the species could be threatened by habitat alteration, but the effect of the threat at a species level is unknown until the species can be better defined. The plant is classified as 'Data Deficient' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2017)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

C. America - Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala north to southern Mexico (Chiapas, Yucatán)

Habitat

Dry, thorny scrub, seasonal lowland dry forest, growing on plains and rocky hillsides; at elevations from 100 - 1,300 metres[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Data Deficient
Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	6.00 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

The flowers open of a night time[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw. A white pulp[]. Of good quality[]. Becoming dry as it matures[]. The ovoid fruit is 5 - 7cm long[].

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

The planIt is grown as a living fence to mark boundaries and exclude grazing animals[].

Other Uses

The stems can be used as roof beams in traditional houses[].

Propagation

Seed -

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