Leptocereus is a genus of cacti that are native to the Greater Antilles.Britton, Nathaniel Lord & Rose, Joseph Nelson. 1909. Contributions from the United States National Herbarium 12(10): 433 in English It has been placed in the tribe Leptocereeae or in a broadly defined Echinocereeae.
Description It is a very rare plant to encounter. The plants themselves are mostly sprawling shrubs, but can also form trees up to 30 feet or more in height. The stems are highly angled; with few large ribs which bear comfortably-spaced areoles that have spine clusters of about 10 spines or so. Some lose spine as they age. Often, the flowers are white or whitish-green and bear spines on raised areoles.
Species , Plants of the World Online accepted the following species: Subgenus Image Scientific name DistributionDendrocereusLeptocereus nudiflorus (Engelm. ex C.Wright) D.Barrios & S.AriasCuba Leptocereus undulosus(DC.) D.Barrios & MajureHispaniolaLeptocereus Leptocereus arboreus Britton & RoseSanta Clara, Cuba. Leptocereus assurgens (C.Wright ex Griseb.) Britton & Rose Cuba Leptocereus carinatus ArecesCubaLeptocereus gonzaleztorresii D.BarriosCuba Leptocereus leonii Britton & Rose Cuba Leptocereus scopulophilus ArecesLa Habana, Cuba.Leptocereus sylvestris Britton & RoseLa Habana, Cuba. Leptocereus wrightii León CubaNeoabbotia Leptocereus bayahibensis Hoxey & Gdaniec Dominican republic Leptocereus cremnophilus Hoxey & Gdaniec Dominican republic Leptocereus demissus Areces southwestern HispaniolaLeptocereus grantianus BrittonPuerto Rico Leptocereus paniculatus (Lam.) D.R.Hunt HispaniolaLeptocereus quadricostatus (Bello) Britton & Rose Puerto Rico Leptocereus rosei Hoxey & GdaniecDominican republic Leptocereus septentrionalis Hoxey & Gdaniec Dominican republic Leptocereus velozianus Clase, Y.Encarn., Peguero & Majure Hispaniola Leptocereus weingartianus (E.Hartmann) Britton & Rose Hispaniola
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