Leocereus

Morphological Summary

Leocereus is a small genus of slender-stemmed columnar cacti endemic to the Caatinga of northeastern Brazil, mainly in the state of Bahia and parts of Minas Gerais. The genus was named after German botanist Leo Zehntner, who worked in Brazil in the early 20th century. Its species are nocturnal cacti with erect or semi-erect stems bearing numerous ribs and large white flowers. Ecologically they are an important element of the xerophytic vegetation of the Brazilian semi-arid region, an exceptionally rich biome in endemic Cactaceae.