'Cereus' definitions:
Definition of 'Cereus'
(from WordNet)
noun
Genus of much-branched treelike or shrubby cacti with pronounced ribs and rounded needlelike spines and nocturnal flowers usually white [syn: Cereus, genus Cereus]
Definition of 'Cereus'
From: GCIDE
- Cereus \Ce"re*us\, n. [L., a wax candle, fr. cera wax. So named from the resemblance of one species to the columnar shape of a wax candle.] (Bot.) A genus of plants of the Cactus family. They are natives of America, from California to Chili. [1913 Webster]
- Note: Although several species flower in the night, the name Night-blooming cereus is specially applied to the Cereus grandiflorus, which is cultivated for its beautiful, shortlived flowers. The Cereus giganteus, whose columnar trunk is sometimes sixty feet in height, is a striking feature of the scenery of New Mexico, Texas, etc. [1913 Webster]