Pilosocereus ID Help

If you have a cactus plant and need help identifying it, this is the place to post it.
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Minime8484
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Pilosocereus ID Help

Post by Minime8484 »

Hi all!
I can't help myself...I'm attracted to cactus mysteries!

Picked this beauty up at Home Depot today under the name, Pilosocereus baumii.

Never heard of that name, and the spines were much more golden brown and longer than associated species like P. pachycladus & P. azureus.

Internet searches came up blank on that name...and the closest name - at least phonetically - is Pilosocereus braunii. which is a synonym of P. gounellei, which is a very different plant without the bluish epidermis.

Any ideas on that name/this plant?
Pilosocereus baumii (2014-Aug17).jpg
Pilosocereus baumii (2014-Aug17).jpg (43.78 KiB) Viewed 2359 times
Thanks in advance!
Cheers,
Tristan
Pilif
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Re: Pilosocereus ID Help

Post by Pilif »

P. gounellei is the first name that came to my mind.
Filip
DaveW
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Re: Pilosocereus ID Help

Post by DaveW »

There was obviously somebody called Baum in the past as in Mammillaria baumii, but the German Pierre Braun is the person most associated with these Cereus type plants, having the genus Pierrebraunia named after him. However I don't think it is a Pierrebraunia. See if you can find it in Columnar Cacti:-

http://www.columnar-cacti.org/pilosocereus/page1.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.columnar-cacti.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Brunãozinho
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Re: Pilosocereus ID Help

Post by Brunãozinho »

Hi Tristan, I'd say it's a P. gounellei, it was the first to come to my mind too. This species can have many variations in spines and color since it's one of the most widespread cactus in all eastern Brazil.

There is a Pilosocereus gounellei subsp. zehntnerii, that was described as Pilosocereus braunii and wich grows a lateral cephalium when mature.

Pilosocereus braunii pictures from the website of Eddie Esteves, who found and described many brazilian cacti with Pierre Braun.

ImageImageImage

This is a picture taken from Marlon Machado, a Pilosocereus gounellei subsp. zehntnerii in habitat.
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Bruno
DaveW
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Re: Pilosocereus ID Help

Post by DaveW »

Problem is some nurserymen who receive plants or seed as say Pilosocereus sp. Braun then tend to name them Pilosocereus braunii. I presume they think a species name sells better to the punters than just "sp.", but that causes confusion if somebody has already validly named another plant Pilosocereus braunii.
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Minime8484
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Re: Pilosocereus ID Help

Post by Minime8484 »

Brunãozinho wrote:Hi Tristan, I'd say it's a P. gounellei, it was the first to come to my mind too. This species can have many variations in spines and color since it's one of the most widespread cactus in all eastern Brazil.

There is a Pilosocereus gounellei subsp. zehntnerii, that was described as Pilosocereus braunii and wich grows a lateral cephalium when mature.
Thanks, Daniel!
This is really helpful - I think you are correct in that it is a bluish clone (or ssp or variety) of Pilosocereus gounellei. Cool that I have two clones of that species about the same age; will be interesting seeing how they change as they get older.

Thanks to all for your help!
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