Table of Contents
Trichocereus macrogonus — Identification
T. macrogonus is a robust, glaucous, well-spined columnar cactus — and, under modern taxonomy, the senior name that absorbs much of what growers call peruvianus and pachanoi.
At a glance
| Feature | T. macrogonus |
|---|---|
| Ribs | ~7–9, robust |
| Spines | stout, well-developed |
| Epidermis | notably glaucous (blue-green) |
| Habit | thick, erect columns |
| Native | Peru / Bolivia (Andes) |
A note on the name
Recent revisions (e.g. Ostolaza) treat Trichocereus macrogonus as the correct name for a broad group, with T. macrogonus var. pachanoi covering San Pedro and much of “peruvianus” folded in. In the hobby, “macrogonus” is still commonly used as a label for stout, blue, well-spined plants. Expect the boundaries between macrogonus, peruvianus and pachanoi to be blurry — they intergrade.
Commonly confused with
- T. peruvianus — historically near-synonymous; provenance labels dominate.
- T. pachanoi — less spiny, less glaucous, but now often treated as a variety of macrogonus.
Examples from our archive
Community-submitted clones identified as T. macrogonus. Click a clone for its full page.
Matucana × macrogonus — full page
Arid Art Macro
Part of the 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.