Trichocereus Lookalikes

Trichocereus Lookalikes

There are various columnar cacti that you can encounter. And though many look very much like Trichocereus on the first look, many of them actually aren´t. This page is about the many lookalikes that are available on the open market. Some of them are labeled “Trichocereus” and some of them aren´t. It includes many plants that were originally collected by seed collectors and field botanists who made a description without having seen the flowers. Because despite the fact that many columnar cacti can be very similar to Trichocereus in their looks, the flowers are what´s usually the biggest help to find out more about the origin of a plant.

Soehrensia

Soehrensias are very similar to Trichocereus. However, most of them stay small, have way too many ribs or a different flower. In addition to that, some of them (like Soehrensia formosa) are very broad and thick. Soehrensias were integrated into the genus Echinopsis, until DNA testing revealed that they are very different in regards to their genetic profile. Because of that, they are regarded a real genus again.

I have no idea which soehrensia this is but it´s definitely not a Trichocereus and Soehrensia comes closest.

GYMNANTHOCEREUS CHLOROCARUS

This genus is not really a genus anymore and those plants were moved into the genus Browningia. The current name of the species shown is Browningia chlorocarpa. Other former Gymnanthocerei are now called Browningia altissima (Gymnanthocereus altissimus), Browningia Pilleifera (Gymnanthocereus pilleifer). There always was taxonomic chaos surrounding those plants and very few pictures exist. The flowers are usually a lot smaller than the ones on Trichocereus and vary in many more aspects.

Origin: Huancabamba and Abra Porculla. Ritters collection Number was FR 290. This species was also called Seticereus Chlorocarpus. If you have pics of any former Gymnanthocereus species, please let me know because I´d love to have more of them on the site.

Rauhocereus

This genus is extremely interesting and I am constantly looking for new pics or seeds of Rauhocereus species. The most popular one is Rauhocereus Riosanijiensis. There are´t many sources where you can buy seeds or plants. The breeder misplant sold a couple seedgrown Rauhocereus last year but I am not sure if he will get some more.

Rauhocereus Riosaniensis – Picture: Michael Wolf

Rauhocereus Riosaniensis – Peter A. MansfeldRauhocereus Riosanienjis Palmengarten Frankfurt – Daderot

I will also add pics and descriptions of Azureocereus. Erdisia, Weberbauerocereus, Coryocactus, Lobivias Echinopsis and many more. If you have pics of a plant that would fit on this page, please write me on the Trichocereus Facebook group. I will constantly update this page.

Trichocereus Lookalikes

Trichocereus Smrzianus

Trichocereus Smrzianus – Echinopsis Smrzianus Backeberg

Backeberg described this plant in his KAKTUS ABC, a book that was not really widely available. Besides the species is highly controversial because this plant is probably synonymous with some forms of Soehrensia.

Synonyms: Trichocereus Smrziana, Soehrensia Smrziana, Soehrensia Smrzianus, Echinopsis Smrzianus

Origin: Argentina, Salta

Description: Grows alone or in groups of larger clusters. It has a large, round body and reaches a maximum diameter of 2 meters and can get up to 60-70 centimeters tall. The plant is extremely variable and can grow like a clustering cactus or in a columnar way, very similar to Trichocereus Spachianus. It has between 10-15 ribs and only grows at one locaction at the location of the typus. That makes this cactus extremely rare, though it is generally available and sometimes shows up in cactus collections. The fact that the plant has so many ribs, makes it distinguishable from plants like Trichocereus Candicans or Spachianus. The bigger the plants get, the broader the ribs are, what gives it a very typical Soehrensia look and it´s definitely closer to Soehrensia than to Trichocereus.

Spines: The very thin spines are usually yellow to white. Plants can have between 8-15 spines on one areole but Trichocereus Smrzianus is extremely variable, what makes it so hard to ID. However, the fact that it only grows on one location in Chachipampa should make the id pretty easy. It has betwen 1-4 middle spines that are up to 3 centimeters long.

Flowers: Trichocereus Smrzianus flowers white. The plant flowers from the upper part of the body, what you can see on the featured image very well. The flowers get between 10-20 centimeters long and look very similar to the ones on Trichocereus Tarijensis.

Fruit: Trichocereus Smrzianus has a round, green fruit that is between 2-5 centimeters in diameter and taste very nicely. The name is a really bad example of how a name should not be. Not sure how it is in your language but in mine, it sounds like you get a seizure while biting your tongue off.

The taxonomic status of the genus Soehrensia was very inconsistent and taxonomists have moved them back and forth from Trichocereus to Echinopsis a couple times now. After the merger with Echinopsis, taxonomy went full circle and re-declared Soehrensia as an accepted genus and it seems like it might stay like that. However, the plant is definitely close to Trichocereus Tarijensis and it´s definitely possible that Trichocereus Smrzianus is just a natural hybrid between Trichocereus Tarijensis and another plant from it´s direct neighborhood.

Emőke Dénes Echinopsis_smrziana_-_Kew_Gardens

Oslo Sukkulentforening Soehrensia_smrziana

by Michael Wolf Echinopsis smrziana

Trichocereus Smrzianus