About Stenocereus pruinosus (Otto ex Pfeiff.) Buxb.
Stenocereus pruinosus (Otto ex Pfeiff.) Buxb. typically grows as a tree, with sparsely to heavily branched stems, and reaches 4–5 meters in height. It usually forms a distinct trunk. The trunk is lightly glaucous, while its shoots are dark green and measure 8 to 12 centimeters in diameter. This cactus has six corrugated ribs, though the number can rarely range from five to eight. Its areoles bear three to nine grayish central spines that are 2 to 3 centimeters long, and rarely reach up to 5 centimeters. It also produces five to nine grayish radial spines, a number that can rarely go up to twelve, and these are usually shorter than 15 millimeters. The white, funnel-shaped flowers grow up to 9 centimeters long, appear near the tips of the shoots, open at night and remain open until the following day. The fruits are elongated, green tinged with red, 6 to 12 centimeters long, and reach 5.5 to 8.1 centimeters in diameter. The fruit flesh can be yellow, orange, red, or purple. This species is found growing in deciduous forests across the Mexican states of Chiapas, Guerrero, Oaxaca, Puebla, San Luis PotosÃ, Tamaulipas and Veracruz, at altitudes between 800 and 1900 meters. It grows alongside Bursera morelensis, Cephalocereus fulviceps, Myrtillocactus eichlamii, Stenocereus stellatus, Lophocereus marginatus, Deamia chontalensis, Pilosocereus quadricentralis, Lemaireocereus hollianus, Polaskia chichipe, Isolatocereus dumortieri, and Escontria chiotilla. The species has edible fruit, which makes it a valuable food source within its native range in Mexico. Its fruit is harvested and sold in many rural Mexican markets.
