About Stenocereus montanus (Britton & Rose) Buxb.
Stenocereus montanus (Britton & Rose) Buxb. is a tree-like cactus that reaches 6 to 9 meters in height, and develops candelabra-style branches. It has a smooth trunk supporting shoots that first spread out before becoming upright; these shoots have diameters between 13 and 20 centimeters. This cactus produces 7 to 9 slightly rounded, unnotched ribs. It has prominent areoles covered in dark brown, felt-like hairs. Each areole bears 9 to 10 spines, which start white and slowly turn gray. These spines measure 5 to 15 millimeters long, and the longest spine can reach up to 3 centimeters. Its night-blooming flowers are white to pink-white, pollinated by bats. Flowers are 6 to 8 centimeters long with a diameter of 3.5 to 5 centimeters, and have clearly reflexed bracts. The fruits of Stenocereus montanus are spherical to egg-shaped, and range in color from green to reddish-green or purple. They measure 5 to 6 centimeters in diameter, and are covered in fine, light yellow spines. The inner fruit flesh may be orange, red, or white, and is preferred by birds and bats for its pleasant flavor. This cactus grows in deciduous forests across the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Colima, Jalisco, Nayarit, Sonora, and northern Sinaloa, usually at altitudes between 200 and 400 meters. It is found growing alongside Fouquieria macdougallii, Jatropha cinerea, Neltuma yaquiana, Lysiloma acapulcense, Ceiba pentandra, Pachycereus pecten-aboriginum, and Stenocereus thurberi.
