Trichocereus is a genus of columnar and large-flowered cacti in the family Cactaceae, order Caryophyllales, native to the Andean and sub-Andean regions of South America, including Bolivia, northern Chile, Ecuador, and Peru. The genus has historically encompassed a range of tall, ribbed, columnar cacti as well as species with spectacularly large, often white, nocturnal flowers.
The taxonomic status of Trichocereus has long been debated. GBIF treats it as an accepted genus, while Plants of the World Online (as of November 2025) considers it a synonym of Echinopsis, a broader genus in the same family. Many botanical authorities have moved its species into Echinopsis, so Trichocereus names frequently appear in literature alongside their Echinopsis equivalents — for example, Trichocereus macrogonus is now listed as Echinopsis macrogona. This reflects a wider trend of lumping formerly segregated South American cactus genera based on molecular phylogenetics.
Species attributed to Trichocereus include T. macrogonus, T. spinibarbis, and T. uyupampensis, among others distributed across the high-altitude grasslands and dry slopes of the Andes.
Distribution
Trichocereus is native to South America, with species recorded from Bolivia, northern Chile, Ecuador, and Peru, primarily in Andean and sub-Andean habitats.
Taxonomy Notes
The genus Trichocereus has contested status: Plants of the World Online (as of November 2025) treats it as a synonym of Echinopsis, while GBIF retains it as an accepted genus. Many of its species have been transferred to Echinopsis in modern treatments based on molecular phylogenetic studies. The name Trichocereus therefore frequently appears in older literature and collections alongside equivalent Echinopsis synonyms.
