Taxonomy

Cereus stenogonus is an arborescent cactus that grows to 8m tall. It has a short trunk and narrow crown with few branches.The branches are:

• long
• erect
• thick
• greyish-green
• 4–5 laterally flattened spiny ribs

The bark is:

• smooth or finely fissured
• spineless
• grey-brown

The leaves are absent, instead there are 2–5 short spines per areole (whitish knots from which the spines protrude).The plant has solitary flowers in January and February that:

• are up to 22cm
• grow from the ribs
• are funnel-shaped
• have a reddish calyx
• have a long and narrow corolla tube
• have numerous white petals and stamens

The fruit is an elliptical berry 10cm long, orange-reddish when mature, with the long persistent style and white-pinkish flesh. They contain numerous small dark seeds.