Lava cactus

Lava cactus
Conservation status
	; Vulnerable (IUCN 2.3)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Core eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Cactaceae
Subfamily:	Cactoideae
Tribe:	Trichocereeae
Genus:	Brachycereus; Britton & Rose
Species:	B. nesioticus
Binomial name
	Brachycereus nesioticus; (K.Schum.) Backeb.
Synonyms
	Cereus nesioticus K.Schum.

The lava cactus (Brachycereus nesioticus) is a species of cactus and the sole species of the genus Brachycereus. The plant is a colonizer of lava fields, hence its common name. It is endemic to the Galápagos Islands.

References

Anderson, E. F. The Cactus Family. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon. 2001.
McMullen, C. K. and Prance, G. Flowering Plants of the Galápagos. Cornell University Press, Ithaca and London. 1999.
Fitter, J., Fitter, D. and Hosking, D. Wildlife of Galápagos. HarperCollins Publishers Ltd, London. 2000.