Pilosocereus leucocephalus
| Pilosocereus leucocephalus | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Cactaceae |
| Subfamily: | Cactoideae |
| Genus: | Pilosocereus |
| Species: | P. leucocephalus
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| Binomial name | |
| Pilosocereus leucocephalus | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
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List
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Pilosocereus leucocephalus, called old man cactus (along with a number of similar species), old man of Mexico, tuno, and woolly torch, is a species of cactus in the genus Pilosocereus, native to Mexico and Central America.[2] It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[3] Pilosocereus leucocephalus functions as a keystone species in dry landscapes found in Mesoamerica. The fruit this cactus produces is relied upon as a source of hydration and sugar in arid areas by frugivores such as birds, bats, and even some reptiles.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ Pilosocereus (Cactac.) Gen. Revis. Ampl.: 119 (1994)
- ^ a b "Pilosocereus leucocephalus (Poselg.) Byles & G.D.Rowley". Plants of the World Online. Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2017. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
- ^ "Pilosocereus leucocephalus". The Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
- ^ Vázquez‐Castillo, Shamira; Miranda‐Jácome, Antonio; Ruelas Inzunza, Ernesto (2019). "Patterns of frugivory in the columnar cactus Pilosocereus leucocephalus". Ecology and Evolution. 9 (3): 1268–1277. doi:10.1002/ece3.4833. PMC 6374677. PMID 30805158.