Sea Urchin Cactus
According to Zander (1994, 249*), Echinopsis Zucc. is now the taxonomically valid genus name for Trichocereus spp. The genera Chamaecereus, Lobivia, Setiechinopsis, and Soehrensia were all incorporated into the genus Echinopsis. Yet because the traditionally accepted genus name Trichocereus is so widely used worldwide—in the botanical as well as the ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological literature, and in academic botanical gardens—in this encyclopedia I will continue to use the established genus name Trichocereus. It is questionable whether the inclusion of Trichocerus in the genus Echinopsis can be botanically justified and is sensible. For example, the most recently revised edition of Flora del Ecuador lists the San Pedro cactus under the botanical name Echinopsis (Trichocereus) pachanoi (Patzelt 1996, 108).
Literature
Patzelt, Erwin. 1996. Flora del Ecuador. 2nd ed. Quito: Banco Central del Ecuador.