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Acanthocereus (Engelmann ex A. Berger) Britton et Rose 1909, is a genus of cacti taking the form of shrubs with arching or climbing stems up to several meters in height.

The six species occur in the tropical Americas from the southern tip of Florida to Colombia, including islands in the Caribbean.

Stems have 3-5 ribs, typically thin, with stout spines. The white funnel-shaped flowers are night-opening, 12-25cm long and 6-12 cm in diameter.

Acanthocereus tetragonus, commonly known as Barbed-wire Cactus, chaco, nun-tsusuy, or órgano, is the most widespread of the genus and the largest, ranging from 2-7 meters tall.

The name was first used by George Engelmann in 1863, although he did not describe its characters, leaving it to Alwin Berger in 1905 to define it as a subsection of Cereus . In 1909, Nathaniel Britton and Joseph Rose elevated Acanthocereus to a genus.

Species

• Acanthocereus baxaniensis (Cuba)
• Acanthocereus colombianus (Colombia)
• Acanthocereus horridus (southeastern Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador)
• Acanthocereus occidentalis (southern Sonora to Guerrero, Mexico)
• Acanthocereus subinermis (Oaxaca, Mexico)
• Acanthocereus tetragonus : Barbed-wire Cactus (Florida, Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, northern South America)

Reference

• Edward F. Anderson , The Cactus Family (Timber Press, 2001), pp. 106-108