Armatocereus

Morphological Summary

Genus of columnar or arborescent cacti with segmented stems and marked spiny ribs, native to the Pacific Andean slopes. Their annual segments are clearly distinguishable on mature stems, giving them an unmistakable articulated appearance. White to pinkish flowers, nocturnal or crepuscular. They produce edible fleshy fruits known as pitajayas in local communities. They inhabit zones from arid coastal areas to mountain slopes of the western Andean cordillera in Ecuador, Peru, and Colombia.