Pilosocereus leucocephalus

(Poselg.) Byles & G.D.Rowley

Cactaceae

+ Synonyms

Cephalocereus cometes (Scheidw.) Britton & Rose

Cephalocereus leucocephalus (Poselg.) Britton & Rose

Cephalocereus maxonii Rose

Cephalocereus palmeri Rose

Cephalocereus sartorianus Rose

Cephalocereus tehuacanus (Weing.) Borg

Cephalophorus palmeri (Rose) Boom

Cereus cometes Scheidw.

Cereus flavicomus Salm-Dyck

Cereus houlletii (Lem.) Mottet

Cereus jubatus Salm-Dyck ex C.F.Först.

Cereus maxonii (Rose) Vaupel

Cereus tehuacanus (Weing.) Werderm.

Cereus victoriensis Vaupel

Pilocereus cometes (Scheidw.) Mittler ex C.F.Först.

Pilocereus flavicomus (Salm-Dyck) C.F.Först. & Rümpler

Pilocereus forsteri Sencke ex Lem.

Pilocereus houlletii Lem.

Pilocereus jubatus Salm-Dyck

Pilocereus leucocephalus Poselg.

Pilocereus marschalleckianus Zeiss.

Pilocereus maxonii (Rose) A.Berger

Pilocereus palmeri (Rose) F.M.Knuth

Pilocereus sartorianus A.Berger

Pilocereus tehuacanus Weing.

Pilosocereus cometes (Scheidw.) Byles & G.D.Rowley

Pilosocereus leucocephalus palmeri (Rose) Scheinvar

Pilosocereus maxonii (Rose) Byles & G.D.Rowley

Pilosocereus palmeri (Rose) Byles & G.D.Rowley

Pilosocereus sartorianus (Rose) Byles & G.D.Rowley

Pilosocereus tehuacanus (Weing.) Byles & G.D.Rowley

Common Name: Cabeza de Viejo

No Image.

General Information

Pilosocereus leucocephalus is a spiny, succulent, shrubby to tree-like cactus with cylindrical stems; it can grow 2 - 5 metres tall, branching from below from a well-defined short trunk. The stems are erect to ascending, 6 - 10cm in diameter[

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..

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 harvested from the wild for local use as a food. It is grown as a living fence in Guatemala and is also grown as an ornamental[

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

].
Pilosocereus leucocephalus is widespread and common. There are some threats, but they are very localized. 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

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

C. America - Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, north to central Mexico

Habitat

Tropical deciduous forest, xerophyllous scrub, and submontane forest. This species can tolerate some habitat modification[

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.

]..

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	3.00 m
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw. Of reasonable 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 globose fruit is up to 4cm in diameter[

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..

]. (as Cephalocereus palmeri sartorianus)

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant is grown as a living fence, where it serves as a boundary marker and an impassable barrier[

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. 2024-11-22. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Pilosocereus+leucocephalus>

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