''Oreocereus'' is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
of
cacti
A cactus (, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae, a family comprising about 127 genera with some 1750 known species of the order Caryophyllales. The word ''cactus'' derives, through Latin, from the Ancient Greek ...
(
family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
Cactaceae
A cactus (, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae, a family comprising about 127 genera with some 1750 known species of the order Caryophyllales. The word ''cactus'' derives, through Latin, from the Ancient Greek ...
), known only from high altitudes of the
Andes
The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...
.
Its name means "mountain
cereus", formed from the Greek prefix ' (, mountain) and the
New Latin
New Latin (also called Neo-Latin or Modern Latin) is the revival of Literary Latin used in original, scholarly, and scientific works since about 1500. Modern scholarly and technical nomenclature, such as in zoological and botanical taxonomy ...
', meaning wax or torch.
As they are covered with woolly white fuzz (modified spines), a few species in this genus are sometimes known as the old-man cactus,
a generic name that also refers to ''
Cephalocereus senilis
''Cephalocereus senilis'', the old man cactus, is a species of cactus native to Hidalgo and Veracruz in central Mexico. It is threatened in the wild, but widespread propagation and popularity in cultivation have reduced the demand on wild popula ...
'' or ''
Espostoa lanata
''Espostoa lanata'' (= Wooly Espostoa) is a species of cactus of the genus '' Espostoa''.
Its common names are Peruvian old man cactus, cotton ball cactus, snowball cactus, snowball old man.
Habitat
Its original habitat is from southern Ec ...
''. More rarely, the old man of the mountain is also used for some species.
Species
Synonymy
The following genera have been included in this genus:
*''Arequipa''
Britton & Rose
A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be ...
*''Arequipiopsis''
Kreuz. & Buining
Albert Frederik Hendrik Buining (25 August 1901 in Groningen – 9 May 1976) was a Dutch botanist
Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytolog ...
*''Morawetzia''
Backeb. Curt Backeberg (2 August 1894 in Lüneburg, Germany – 14 January 1966) was a German horticulturist especially known for the collection and classification of cactus, cacti.
Biography
He travelled extensively through Central and South America, an ...
*''Submatucana''
Backeb. Curt Backeberg (2 August 1894 in Lüneburg, Germany – 14 January 1966) was a German horticulturist especially known for the collection and classification of cactus, cacti.
Biography
He travelled extensively through Central and South America, an ...
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q134007
Trichocereeae
Cacti of South America
Flora of the Andes
Cactoideae genera