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Notes for the Genus:
leptocereus
Etymology The name is derived from the Greek leptos, meaning "thin", and applies in particular to the slender branches and stems.Leptocereus is a genus consisting of just over a dozen species, all native to the islands of the Caribbean. In cultivation, it is extremely rare to encounter any one of these species. As a result, most cactus growers are unacquainted with the genus except by the occasional photograph and even the internet is short on supply of images. The New Cactus Lexicon recognizes 11 species and has photos of 10 of them. Yet this is the most complete collection of Leptocereus images I've found.
The plants themselves are mostly sprawling shrubs, but can also form trees up to 30 feet (10m) or more in height. The stems are highly angled, that is, with few large ribs which bear comfortably-spaced areoles that have spine clusters of about 10 spines or so. Some lose spine as they age. The flowers are white or whitish-green and bear spines on raised areoles in most cases. Some species are reported to produce a cephalium.
