Peruvian apple cactus
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The Peruvian apple cactus Cereus repandus L., is a large, erect, thorny columnar cactus found in South America. It is also known as a cadushi, giant club cactus, or hedge cactus.
With an often tree-like appearance, the Peruvian apple cactus' cylindrical gray-green stems can reach 10 meters (33 ft) in height and 10-20 cm in diameter. The nocturnal flowers remain open for only one night. The fruits, known as pitaya in Latin America, are thornless and vary in skin color from violet-red to yellow. The flesh (the edible part of the fruit) is white and contains small, edible, crunchy seeds.
It is an unresearched, under-utilized cactus, grown only as an ornamental plant.
Fruits of a number of other columnar cacti, also belonging to the subfamily Cactoideae, tribe Cereeae, are known to be of economic significance for native use in South America.
Reference
- Edward F. Anderson, The Cactus Family (Timber Press, 2001), pp. 148-149
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