Leucostele atacamensis
Leucostele atacamensis is a cactus native to Chile, Argentina and Bolivia. It is listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN. The plant grows as a tall columnar cactus and can branch into a candelabra or tree-like shape. It reaches about 1.5–10 meters in height and 25–70 cm in width, with 20–30 ribs. Its areoles can be up to 2 cm wide and have 50–100 spines, the longest up to 30 cm. In younger plants, the spines are yellowish honey-colored, needle-like, and about 10 cm long (rarely up to 15 cm).
The flowers are rose-white, 10–14 cm long, and open both day and night along the sides of the stems. The fruits are dark green, densely hairy, edible, and up to 5 cm long. There are two recognized subspecies.
Distribution covers northeastern Chile (Antofagasta, Tarapacá, Arica y Parinacota), southwestern Bolivia (Oruro, Potosí, Tarija), and northern Argentina (Jujuy, Salta, Tucumán, Catamarca, La Rioja, San Juan) at elevations of 1,700–3,900 meters.
Taxonomy: Leucostele atacamensis was first described in 1860 by Rodolfo Philippi as Cereus atacamensis. The name refers to the Atacama region in Chile. It has been placed in several genera over time (Trichocereus, Helianthocereus, Echinopsis) before being assigned to Leucostele in 2012 by Boris Schlumpberger.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 12:42 (CET).