Selenicereus grandiflorus

Grandiflorus is Latin for 'large flowered'. When Carl von Linné described this cacti in 1753 it was the largest flowered species of cacti known. Paradoxically, its flowers are moderate in size compared with several other Selenicereus species.

The first species to be brought into cultivation. Linné (Linnaeus) described it in 1753, but it was known long before. Records from Hortus Kewensis gives that the species was grown at Royal Gardens at Hampton Court before 1700. There has been doubt about which plant was available to Linné when he drew up his description, but this is solved and both the plates on this side show the authentic species.

It is native throughout the Greater Antilles (Cuba, Cayman Islands, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti), Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, and a few other locations in South and Central America. Climbing on trees and on rocks at 700 metre altitude. Extremely variable, especially in Jamaica, stems with slightly wavy to strongly knobby margins occurs in the same plant. Much confused in cultivation. Many species of Selenicereus should be reduced to synonyms of subspecies of this species, differing merely in degree rather than in kind.

An easily cultivated, fast growing epiphyte or lithophytic plant, it takes two to three years to begin producing blooms, but when it does, they are spectacular.[3] It is not winter hardy in Arkansas and needs relatively little care inside other than a sunny window and room to grow. Keep it on the dry side each winter, and move it outdoors under a shade tree in late spring.. Needs a compost containing plenty of humus and sufficient moisture in summer. Should not be kept under 5 °C (41 °F) in winter. Perform best if grown in full sun. Extra light in the early spring will stimulate budding. Flowers in late spring or early summer, only blooms one night a year for several years and withers within hours.

Stems scandent, clambering or sprawling, branching, sometimes forming tangles, producing aerial roots, stiff, to 10 m long or more, (10)15–25(–30)mm thick; ribs (4–)7–8(–10), low, less so on older branches, separated by broad, rounded intervals, slightly wavy to strongly knobby; areoles small, wool white or greyish white, internodes (6–)12–20 mm; spines 5–18, to 4.5–12 mm, basally ca 0,25 mm in diameter, acicular, elliptic or circular in cross section, bulbous basally, spreading, yellowish brown to brownish or yellow, grey in age, eventually deciduous hairs from lower part of areole ± numerous white or brownish, mature vegetative areoles usually lacking hairs, juvenile plants have spines shorter and fewer; epidermis glaucous green or bluish green, often ± purplish, smooth. Flowers 17–22.5 cm long and reportedly as much as 15 inches (38 cm) in width.[4] Fragrance reminding of vanilla and orange-flower; pericarpel 25 mm long, with bracteoles 5 mm, strap-shaped and yellowish, covered with nearly white or tawny hairs and sharp bristles; receptacle 7.5–8.7 cm, bracteoles 5–14mm, strap-shaped to linear, yellowish with long, nearly white or tawny, wavy hairs and sharp bristles in their axils, ca 25mm long; outer tepals 7.5–10 cm long, averaging 4.5 mm wide, linear-attenuate, light brown, salmon to pink buff, yellowish adaxially; inner tepals 7.5–10 cm long, 9–12(–15) mm, shorter than outer tepals, wide, lanceolate, gradually narrowed into a pointed or acute apex, white; stamens 38–50 mm long, delinate, white, anthers 1.5mm long, yellowish; style 15–20 cm long, often longer than inner tepals, 1.5 mm greatest diameter, stigma lobes 7–12, ca 7.5 mm long, slender. Fruit ovoid, 5–9 cm long, 4.5–7 cm thick, whitish, partly pink, pink, yellow or orange, covered with clusters of spines and hairs which soon drop off, juicy, the imbilicus small and inconspicuous. Four subspecies are recognized:

• • ssp. donkelaarii (Salm-Dyck) Ralf Bauer
  • ssp. grandiflorus
  • ssp. hondurensis (K.Schum. ex Weing.) Ralf Bauer
  • ssp. lautneri Ralf Bauer

Selenicereus ×callianthus (Gaillard) Lindinger (1942). This is a hybrid between this species and Selenicereus pteranthus. Many plants under the name Selenicereus grandiflorus may belong to this cross. It is very similar to Selenicereus pteranthus, but stems more slender and spines, longer and yellowish.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Selenicereus grandiflorus.

• Bahamian dry forests
• Night blooming cereus - for other cacti sharing this name
• Arizona queen of the night

• Media related to Selenicereus grandiflorus at Wikimedia Commons
• Data related to Selenicereus grandiflorus at Wikispecies
• Night-blooming cereus. Cereus grandiflorus (L)
• Selenicereus grandiflorus Picture
• Selenicereus grandiflorus Pictures and time lapse movie of opening flower
• desert-tropicals.com: Selenicereus