Pachycereus schottii

Common Name: Senita Cactus, Old Man Cactus
Oˊodham Name: chehmi
Group: Cacti － Desert

Description

Pachycereus schottii reaches heights of 20 feet growing in gravelly soils in frost-free areas near Why and Sonoyta. As with the other columnar cacti, Stenocereus thurberi and Carnegia gigantea, the flowers are bat pollinated. After falling to the ground, the fruit are an important food source for Javelinas, rodents, and birds.

entire plant
stem with spines and hair

Classification

Kingdom Plantae － Plants

Subkingdom Tracheobionta － Vascular plants

Superdivision Spermatophyta － Seed plants

Division Magnoliophyta － Flowering plants

Class Magnoliopsida － Dicotyledons

Subclass Caryophyllidae

Order Caryophyllales

Family Cactaceae － Cactus family

Genus Pachycereus (A. Berger) Britton & Rose － pachycereus

Species Pachycereus schottii (Engelm.) D.R. Hunt － senita cactus

More Information

USDA Plant Profile and Map