Trichocereus shaferi

• Body: Cylindrical, light green, strongly branching, to 20” (50cm.) high. Branches to 5” (12.5cm.) diameter. Not to be confused with Echinopsis shaferi.
• Ribs: About 14, to .6” (1.5cm.) high.
• Areoles/Spines: Areoles white felted when young, up to .25” (7mm.) apart. About 10 light yellow, needle-like spines, central spine not clearly distinguishable.
• Flowers/Fruit: White, slender tubed flowers from the top of the plant to 7” (18cm.) long.
• Distribution: About 6000' (1800m.), Salta, San Lorenzo, Argentina.

Trichocereus skottsbergii

• Body: Grayish-green, branching from below to 6.5' (2m.) high. Branches to 5.5” (14cm.) diameter.
• Ribs: To 14.
• Areoles/Spines: Areoles grayish-black, .3” (8mm.) large. Radial spines, bristly, flexible, barely sharp, ~22-26 horn-colored to gray, to 2.5” (6.2cm.). Three more clearly recognizable central spines, light brown to gray, to 4.75” (12cm.) long.
• Flowers/Fruit: White flowers to 4.75” (12cm.).
• Distribution: Coast of Talinay, Coquimbo, Chile.
• Subspecies: v. breviatus: To over 5.25' (1.6m.) high, branches to 4.75” (12cm.) diameter. Up to 16 ribs. Numerous (up to 40) spines, more or less hair-like in flowering areoles; 1-3 longest ones (to 2.4” 6cm.), hair-like ones to only .25” (6mm.) long. White flower, to 3.1” (8cm.) long. Also from Coquimbo, Chile.

Trichocereus smrzianus - B76, Backe. (aka Echinopsis smrzianus)

• Body: Spherical at first, later cylindrical to more than 6.2” (16cm.) high, becoming thicker, finally stoutly columnar with some individuals to 15.75” (40cm.) tall, more or less prostrate and then ascending, primarily fresh green at first, later more or less grayish-green to 8” diameter when older. Younger plants extremely variable in appearance.
• Ribs: ~15.
• Areoles/Spines: Spines variable, ~7-14 at first, irregularly arranged, all thin, sharp, radiating, needle-like to finer; from whitish to deep golden-brown, sometimes flecked or dark below.
• Flowers/Fruit: White, to 4.75” (12cm.) long, 4.75” (12cm.) diameter, petals in several series.
• Distribution: Northern Argentina.