Cephalocereus fulviceps

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Cephalocereus fulviceps is a cactus species from Puebla, Mexico. It starts growing straight up as a column, then later becomes a richly branched, candelabra-like plant that can reach up to 12 meters high. The blue-green stems can be as long as 8 meters and have 11–14 ribs.

The cactus has three central spines; one is much longer (about 6–7 cm) than the other two (around 2 cm). It also has eight to twelve thin, yellowish marginal spines up to 10 mm long. At the top, a dense brown woolly area called a pseudocephalium forms. Cream-colored flowers emerge from the pseudocephalium, open at night, and are about 6–7 cm long and 6 cm in diameter. The flower and its tube are covered with brick-shaped scales and long dark yellow hairs. The fruits are spherical and contain wool and hair.

Taxonomy and naming: Cephalocereus fulviceps was first described in 1897 as Pilocereus fulviceps by Karl Moritz Schumann. The name fulviceps comes from Latin fulvus (yellowish-brown) and ceps (headed). Harold Emery Moore placed the species in Cephalocereus in 1975. It has several synonyms in other genera, including Cereus fulviceps, Mitrocereus fulviceps, Pseudomitrocereus fulviceps, Pachycereus fulviceps, and Carnegiea fulviceps.

Conservation status: Least Concern.