About Stenocereus beneckei (C.Ehrenb.) A.Berger & Buxb.
Stenocereus beneckei is a shrub-like cactus that produces upright or slightly curved shoots, and reaches 1–2 meters in height. Its light to gray-green shoots, which often look whitish, grow 5–7 cm in diameter. The shoots have 6–9 widely spaced ribs that are divided into large, blunt cusps. This cactus has one stiff, blackish central spine that can grow up to 4 cm long, along with 2–5 grayish marginal spines that reach up to 1.7 cm long. Flowers bloom near the tips of the shoots; they open at night and stay open into the following day. The flowers are brownish on the outside and white on the inside, and measure 6.5–8 cm long. The fruits are ellipsoid and tuberous, starting green and turning red when mature. They grow up to 5 cm long and 3 cm in diameter, and have colorless flesh. This species is native to deciduous forests in the Mexican states of Guerrero, Morelos, Puebla, and México. It grows on rocky cliffs at altitudes between 1200 and 1400 meters.
