Trichocereus pachanoi

• Body: Numerous branches, more or less tree-like to 19.5' (6m.) high. Stems bluish-green, slightly frosted when young, dark green when older.
• Ribs: [4-]6-8 with a deep, horizontal depression above the areole.
• Areoles/Spines: Spines often wanting, from 3-7 dissimilar, dark yellow to brown to .75” (2cm.) long when present.
• Flowers/Fruit: Very fragrant, night blooming white flowers to 9” (23cm.).
• Distribution: From 6500-10,000' (2000-3000m.), Chanchan valley, Ecuador.

Trichocereus pasacana - H (B76, BR63=Helianthocereus pasacana?)

• Body: More or less club-shaped, occasionally has a few branches from the base, from 3.2' (1m.) to 33' (10m.) high and 12” (30cm.) wide at the top. Spineless at base when older.
• Ribs: 20-38 low, .75” (2cm.) high.
• Areoles/Spines: Areoles large, near to each other, sometimes touching. On young plants the spines are numerous, yellow, stiff, tapering to a fine point and variable size up to 5.5” (14cm.). On older, particularly flowering plants they are yellow or white, elongated, flexible, sometimes bristle-like from 4” (10cm.) to 4.75” (12cm.) long.
• Flowers/Fruit: Flowers to 4” (10cm.) long. Fruit globular, about 1.2” diameter, said to be edible, called pasacana.
• Distribution: High plains and valleys of Bolivia and northern Argentina.

Trichocereus peruvianus

• Body: Bluish-green, frosted stems, erect at first then arching over or even prostrate to 23' (7m.) long. Stems to 8” (20cm.) diameter.
• Ribs: 6-8, broadly rounded with a “V”-shaped notch over the areole.
• Areoles/Spines: Areoles large, brown-felted to 1” (2.5cm.) apart. Spines brown from the first or honey-colored below, darker above; rigid and stout, not at all swollen at base. Six to 8 radial spines to .4” (1cm.), usually 1 center spine to 1.6” (4cm.).
• Flowers/Fruit: Large, white flowers.
• Distribution: Around 7000' (2100m.) near Matucana, Peru, on the western slope of the Andes .
• Subspecies: Three varieties seem to be available commercially although they don't seem to be “official” subspecies. The comments below are my personal observations/opinions based on young, seed grown plants. v. “Ancash”: Similar to a “KK242” but the “V”-notches are much subtler, often not visible at all. Presumably from the Ancash region northwest of Matucana. v. “Blue”: Lighter in color (“bluer”), areoles seem further apart (i.e., where in a certain distance a “KK242” has 4 areoles, the “Blue” has only 3). v. KK242: Seems to fit the standard T. peruvianus ID.