====== Trichocereus pachanoi — Identification ======

**T. pachanoi** (San Pedro / Huachuma) is the classic tall, fast, near-spineless columnar cactus of the Andes and the most widely grown //Trichocereus//.

===== At a glance =====
^ Feature ^ T. pachanoi ^
| Ribs | 6–8 (occasionally 4–9), broad and rounded |
| Spines | short and sparse, often 0–7 mm; sometimes nearly spineless; amber/brown |
| Epidermis | mid to dark green, matte (not strongly glaucous) |
| Areoles | white-felted, ~1.5–2.5 cm apart, often with a small "notch" or chin above each |
| Habit | fast, erect, columnar; branches from the base; to ~6 m |
| Native | Andes of Ecuador and Peru, ~2000–3000 m |

===== Key identifying features =====
The give-aways are the **broad rounded ribs**, **short-to-absent spines**, and a **matte mid-green** skin. Many pachanoi show a subtle **notch above the areole** (a small indentation on the rib margin). Growth is notably fast and upright. Large white nocturnal flowers have black hairs on the tube.

===== Commonly confused with =====
  * **T. peruvianus** — usually spinier (longer, stouter spines) and more glaucous (blue bloom), especially on new growth.
  * **T. macrogonus** — heavy taxonomic overlap; modern treatments fold much of pachanoi into //T. macrogonus var. pachanoi// (see the [[species:macrogonus|macrogonus]] page).
  * Growing conditions matter: a sun-stressed or under-watered pachanoi can spine up and glaucous up, blurring the line with peruvianus.

===== Examples from our archive =====
//Community-submitted clones identified as T. pachanoi. Click a clone for its full page.//

**Pachanoi**
{{clones:j:media:jng36_cemetery_huarochiri_pachanoi:da195cf312b7b2c3.jpg?260}} {{clones:j:media:jng36_cemetery_huarochiri_pachanoi:e98dd588cb76c51e.jpg?260}} {{clones:j:media:jng36_cemetery_huarochiri_pachanoi:fb674a6e0abe0de9.jpg?260}}

**pach bk10805.1** — [[clones:p:pach_bk10805_1|full page]]
{{clones:p:media:pach_bk10805_1:2e2dbe6efaed7724.jpg?260}} {{clones:p:media:pach_bk10805_1:406bc0bac33202a1.jpg?260}} {{clones:p:media:pach_bk10805_1:4e82a046653ad636.jpg?260}}

**Josue Pach** — [[clones:j:josue_pach|full page]]
{{clones:j:media:josue_pach:442e299928f02ea7.jpg?260}} {{clones:j:media:josue_pach:97d8c9bbda3b11cc.jpg?260}}

**NZ Pach Dalton** — [[clones:n:nz_pach_dalton|full page]]
{{clones:n:media:nz_pach_dalton:102fd589bed886b3.jpg?260}} {{clones:n:media:nz_pach_dalton:ac113675937479a6.jpg?260}}

**powerline**
{{clones:j:media:jng39_powerline_matucana_pach:797e981d5cc9dfc2.jpg?260}}

**Dave Turner Pach** — [[clones:d:dave_turner_pach|full page]]
{{clones:d:media:dave_turner_pach:50f63dbbfbf7866d.jpg?260}}

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//Part of the [[species:start|Trichocereus Species & ID Guide]]. This is a horticultural ID reference, **not** definitive taxonomy — Trichocereus species intergrade and their classification is debated. Example photos are community-submitted clones from our archive; click a clone for its page.//