This tropical columnar cactus was introduced as ISI 1786 in 1988. Our plant of that introduction survived until 2016 so we are pleased to have another collection to grow and share more widely. The somewhat tongue-twisting genus name is from the Greek coleo-, sheath, plus cephalo-, head. This refers to the mature stem tips, sheathed in wool, at least on one side, as a lateral pseudocephalium is characteristic of the genus. The specific epithet refers to the many-ribbed stems, up to 25 ribs, more than in the other ten or so species. White flowers emerge from the wool followed by red, globular fruits. In time the pseudocephalium takes on a honeycombed look as the wool ages brown around the regularly spaced flower remnants. We offer HBG 126761, from seed collected at Goiabeira, Minas Gerais, Brazil. $10.
Published in the Cactus and Succulent Journal, Vol. 92 (2), Summer 2020