biology

Selenicereus anthonyanus

Selenicereus anthonyanus is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Selenicereus anthonyanus rather than just read about it. In short: Selenicereus anthonyanus (also known by its obsolete name, Cryptocereus anthonyanus) is a cactus species native to southern Mexico. It is grown as an ornamental because of its nocturnal flowers and unusual, leaf-like stems.

Key takeaways

Selenicereus anthonyanus belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Selenicereus anthonyanus to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Selenicereus anthonyanus from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Selenicereus anthonyanus (also known by its obsolete name, Cryptocereus anthonyanus) is a cactus species native to southern Mexico. It is grown as an ornamental because of its nocturnal flowers and unusual, leaf-like stems. Common names include fishbone cactus, rickrack cactus, zig-zag cactus and St. Anthony's rickrack, and is sometimes referred to as an orchid cactus.

Description The stems of the plant are ascending or climbing. Its branches are in clusters at intervals along the stem, to 1 m long or more, 7–15 cm wide, flat with few aerial roots; the lobes are 25–45 mm long and 10–16 mm wide, somewhat tapered towards the rounded apex; areoles are small; epidermis is green to yellowish green, smooth. The edges are deeply lobed. The fragrant flowers are 10 to 12 centimeters long and 15 to 17 centimeters in diameter. The outer bracts are purple and spread out until they are bent back. The inner bracts are ascending, cream-colored and yellow towards the flower throat. The seed vessel is 15–20 mm long and green in color. The pericarpel is covered with numerous small scales with gray wool, bristles and thorns. The fruits are round or oval and up to 6 cm. They are full of thorny areolae, which drop off as they mature. Seeds are 2 x 1.5 mm, black in color.

Origin and habitat S. anthonyanus is endemic to moist lowland rainforest of southern Mexico, in the states of Chiapas, Oaxaca, Tabasco and Veracruz growing at altitudes of 180 metres (590 ft) to 500 metres (1,600 ft).

Systematics This species is named after Harold E. Anthony who first flowered this species in June 1950. The former generic name Cryptocereus (literally, "hidden cereus") recalls the fact that the species remained long unknown in a region that had been thoroughly investigated by Thomas MacDougall, who found this species in 1946. He thought he had found a close relative to Epiphyllum anguliger. When it flowered in the greenhouses of Dr. Harold E. Anthony in Jersey in 1950 it was obvious that this was a great novelty. The species is rarely collected and most plants in cultivation descend from this first collection. This is an isolated species with no close allies. Two other epiphytic cacti from other genera show similar strongly notched flat stems and which, when not in flower, are not readily distinguishable from this species: these are Epiphyllum anguliger and Weberocereus imitans.

Cultivation An easily cultivated, fast growing epiphyte, S. anthonyanus needs a compost containing plenty of humus and sufficient moisture in summer. It can be grown in semi–shade or full sun, but should not be kept under 4 °C (39 °F) in winter. Extra light in early spring will stimulate budding. Its flowers only open for one night and are very fragrant, to attract nocturnal pollinators. It flowers in late spring or early summer.

Hybrids 'Corinna Paetz' (S. anthonyanus × 'Feuerauber') ×Disoselenicereus 'Stauch's Mandarin' by Dr. Stauch (Disocactus × smithii × S. anthonyanus) ×Disoselenicereus 'Noris' by R. Gräser (Disocactus speciosus × S. anthonyanus). ×Disoselenicereus 'Wormatia' by Dr. Stauch (Disocactus × smithii × S. anthonyanus). ×Disoselenicereus 'Müllers Mandarin' ('Stauch's Mandarin' × Disocactus speciosus)

References

External links Media related to Selenicereus anthonyanus at Wikimedia Commons Data related to Selenicereus anthonyanus at Wikispecies

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Selenicereus anthonyanus

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Selenicereus anthonyanus claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Selenicereus anthonyanus before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Selenicereus anthonyanus ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Selenicereus anthonyanus

In research: Selenicereus anthonyanus appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Selenicereus anthonyanus in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Selenicereus anthonyanus is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Cacti of Mexico, Endemic flora of Mexico, Epiphytes, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Selenicereus anthonyanus outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Selenicereus anthonyanus in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Selenicereus anthonyanus means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Selenicereus anthonyanus out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Selenicereus anthonyanus in simple terms?

Why does Selenicereus anthonyanus matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Selenicereus anthonyanus?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Selenicereus anthonyanus.