Scientific taxonomy article
Accepted name and publication history
The accepted name in the current Kew backbone is Cereus jamacaru DC.. Augustin Pyramus de Candolle published the species in 1828 in Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni Vegetabilis 3: 467. IPNI supplies nomenclatural authorship and place of publication, while current acceptance, synonymy, and native distribution follow POWO's taxonomic opinion.12
The name was published directly in Cereus. Cactus jamacaru and Piptanthocereus jamacaru are later homotypic combinations based on the same type.
Taxon boundary and infraspecific treatment
In the Kaktüs Doktoru backbone, the species is a child of the genus Cereus. Kew recognizes two accepted subspecies: the nominotypical subsp. jamacaru and subsp. calcirupicola. This package updates only the canonical species node and its linked botanical-dictionary record; it does not flatten accepted subordinate ranks into species synonyms, rewrite the genus node, or alter the product.
Diagnostic characters
WFO and Flora do Brasil describe a trunked succulent tree branching above ground, commonly with 5–7 pronounced ribs, long nocturnal white flowers, and red ripe fruit with white pulp. Spine number and length vary widely with age and population. These characters must be assessed together. A product photograph is not an herbarium voucher, and cultivation may alter stem colour, spine density, and growth direction.
Phylogenetic context
The 2023 genus-level phylogeny investigated relationships within Cereus with hundreds of captured nuclear orthologues and a coalescent framework, demonstrating why traditional appearance-based circumscriptions require genomic testing.3 A 2025 family-wide phylogenomic study then reassessed the Cactaceae backbone and classification using hundreds of nuclear genes.4 These studies do not by themselves rename this species; they warn against inferring close relationship from one conspicuous stem or spine character.
Native distribution and conservation
Kew records the native range as central and eastern Brazil.1 POWO treats the species as a succulent tree of seasonally dry tropical biomes. WFO also records escape from cultivation and invasive behaviour in South Africa; native and introduced distributions must remain distinct. The stored conservation category is LC.5 The IUCN assessment is Least Concern. Widespread use and cultural familiarity do not mean local Caatinga or Cerrado habitats are unaffected, nor that the species is ecologically harmless where introduced.
Synonymy and retrieval
Kew accepts 2 synonyms at the species node: Cactus jamacaru and Piptanthocereus jamacaru are two homotypic combinations based on the same type. These are not canonical routes; they document nomenclatural history and support retrieval of older literature. WFO may expose a broader historical set, but in the current POWO species node the accepted subsp. calcirupicola is not a synonym and is not inserted into the species list.1
References
- Plants of the World Online. “Cereus jamacaru DC.” Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Accessed: 2026-08-04. https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:53061-2 ↩
- International Plant Names Index. “Cereus jamacaru DC.” Accessed: 2026-08-04. https://www.ipni.org/n/53061-2 ↩
- Taylor, N. P. et al. “A phylogeny of Cereus (Cactaceae) and the placement and description of two new species.” Taxon. https://doi.org/10.1002/tax.13103 ↩
- de Vos, J. M. et al. “Phylogenomics and classification of Cactaceae based on hundreds of nuclear genes.” Plant Systematics and Evolution 311:28 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00606-025-01948-z ↩
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Cereus jamacaru.” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/152911/121494380 ↩
- World Flora Online. “Cereus jamacaru DC.” Accessed: 2026-08-04. https://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0000597243 ↩
