Cereus schottii Engelm.
Lophocereus schottii (Engelm.) Britton & Rose
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Pachycereus schottii (Engelm.) D.R. Hunt Señita cactus, old man cactus
Old man cactus is native to southwestern North America—Arizona, and Baja California and Sonora in Mexico. Identification: Señita grows up to 12' (3.7 m) high, with stems 4-8" (10-20 cm) in diameter. Near the bottom of the columns, the areoles (bumps which produce the spines) are ¹/₁₆-³/₁₆" (3-5 mm) around, producing 1-15 spines ¹/₁₆-¼" (2.5-7.6 mm) long. On the upper part of the columns, areoles are ¼-½" (7.6-15 mm) around. Each areole includes 20-75 spines 1-4" (3-10 cm) long. It is these long, white, hairlike spines the give the cactus its common names. Flowers are cream-colored to bright pink, about 1½" (3.8 cm) across. Flowers usually bloom at night. Fruits are small, spiny red berries, which are edible. (Note: there is another old man cactus too!) Online References:
The Virginia Tech Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Forest and Kim Starr’s Starr Environmental site The Arizona Sonora Desert Museum Sonoran Desert Digital Library
5/24/2009 · Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson, Arizona Pachycereus schottii description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020.
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5/24/2009 · Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson, Arizona
5/25/2009 · Boyce Thompson Arboretum, Superior, Arizona Range: Zones 9-10:
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