“bottle-shaped candle”, characteristic of the general appearance of the genus.
Monospecific genus of plants usually unbranched, not exceeding 1.5m high, with a cylindrical stem, but globose at the base, giving them a characteristic shape of a long-necked bottle, with many ribs (13-16). Radial spines short, aciculate (15-18), central spines stronger, longer (up to 3cm). Cephalium apical, densely woolly.
Flowers nocturnal, self-sterile, appearing in groups of 2-5, subapical, bell-shaped to funnel-shaped, white to pinkish white, pollinated by bats. Fruits globose, depressed, bluish to almost black when ripe, covered with wax. Seeds about 1.5mm, black, shiny, pitted.
The monotypic genus Lagenosocereus grows endemically in a very restricted area of Morro do Chapeu, Bahia, in Brazil, in the campo rupestre (in Brazil, mountainous subtropical savanna), on sandy areas of white quartz, among rocks and conglomerates, on outcrops, in crevices, between 900 m and 1550 m in altitude, in the shade, sometimes in full sun, together with Velloziaceae and lichens.
Currently only one recognised species:
– Lagenosocereus luetzelburgii Doweld 2002