Cactaceae FAMILY Vulnerable

Acanthocereus chiapensis

Edibility

2/5

Medicinal

0/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Botanical Description

Acanthocereus chiapensis is a spiny, evergreen, shrubby cactus, usually branching from the base, and growing 170 - 350cm tall from a tuberous rootstock. Individual stems are up to 400cm long and 11cm in diameter. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food. Acanthocereus chiapensis has experienced a population decline of more than 30% in the past 60 years (generation length is 20 years) and habitat loss and severe fragmentation is continuing within its limited range. While this species tolerates some disturbance, it cannot survive in significantly modified habitats such as agricultural areas. The plant is classified as 'Vulnerable' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2017)[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical

Native RangeC. America - Honduras, Guatemala; Southern N. America - southern Mexico (Chiapas)

HabitatTropical dry and semi-dry deciduous forest; at elevations from 500 - 1,300 metres[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ].