Stems among shrubs
The slender branches give the plant a vine-like habit. Stems break readily during the dry part of the year, making plant height an imperfect measure of age and growth history. Underground swellings form a more diffuse system than the large root of Peniocereus greggii. The historical names Wilcoxia striata, Neoevansia striata and Peniocereus diguetii are synonyms of P. striatus in current POWO. [Suzán et al. 1994] [Raguso et al. 2003] [2-WWW]
Nurse plants in Sonora
Suzán and colleagues studied populations along the Arizona–Sonora border and near Bahía Kino. Cacti were spatially associated with shrubs and trees, particularly Olneya tesota and Larrea tridentata. Cactus condition correlated with damage to nurse plants. This provides field evidence of an ecological association between organisms. Protecting a cactus stem therefore also involves the surrounding vegetation structure. [Suzán et al. 1994]
Nocturnal flowers and visitors
In the populations studied, flowering occurred in episodes, frequently with many plants opening flowers simultaneously. Pollinators observed included Hyles lineata and Manduca quinquemaculata. A later analysis by Raguso and colleagues detected no fragrance in a limited Peniocereus striatus sample. That finding concerns the method and sample examined, whereas an earlier general description referred to a sweet smell. Understanding visual and chemical signals requires retaining this distinction. [Suzán et al. 1994] [Raguso et al. 2003]
Synonyms and names in the literature
Cereus diguetii · Cereus striatus · Neoevansia diguetii · Neoevansia striata · Peniocereus diguetii · Wilcoxia diguetii · Wilcoxia striata [2-WWW]