Hylocereus polyrhizus (F. A. C. Weber) Britton & Rose, Cactaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Threat only at high elevations?  no

Common name(s): [more details]

English: pitahaya

Habit:  cactus

Description:  "Plants sprawling to climbing, profusely branched, epiphytic, lithophytic, and terrestrial, to several meters long.  Stems two- to four-angled, usually three-angled, dark green, becoming whitish with age, 0.5-2 m (20-79 in) long, 3-10 cm (1.2-3.9 in) wide.  Ribs smooth to wavy, often horny, with concave faces.  Spines 2-6, bulbous basally, reddish, becoming gray, needle-like, straight, 2-10 mm (to 0.4 in) long.  Flowers borne singly or in small clusters, white, 25-31 cm (9.8-12 in) long, 25-30 cm (9.8-12 in) in diameter; floral tubes straight to strongly curved; pericarpels indistinct.  Fruits ellipsoidal, red, 7-10 cm (2.8-3.9 in) long" (Anderson, 2001; p. 379).

Habitat/ecology:  (no habitat/ecology info known by PIER)

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  "Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia and Ecuador" (Anderson, 2001; p. 379).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Floreana Group	Floreana Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Charles Darwin Research Station (2005)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Isabela Group	Volcan Sierra Negra	introduced invasive cultivated	Charles Darwin Research Station (2005)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) San Cristóbal Group	San Cristóbal Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Charles Darwin Research Station (2005)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Santa Cruz Group	Santa Cruz Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Charles Darwin Research Station (2005)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Colombia Colombia	Colombia (Republic of)	native	Anderson, Edward F. (2001) (p. 379)
Costa Rica Costa Rica	Costa Rica (Republic of)	native	Anderson, Edward F. (2001) (p. 379)
Ecuador (Mainland) Ecuador	Ecuador (Republic of) (continental)	native	Anderson, Edward F. (2001) (p. 379)
Nicaragua Nicaragua	Nicaragua (Republic of)	native	Anderson, Edward F. (2001) (p. 379)
Panama Panama	Panama (Republic of)	native	Anderson, Edward F. (2001) (p. 379)
Perú Perú	Perú (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)

Additional information:  Additional online information about Hylocereus polyrhizus is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Taxonomic information about Hylocereus polyrhizus may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Anderson, Edward F. 2001. The cactus family. Timber press. 776 pp.

Charles Darwin Research Station. 2005. CDRS Herbarium records.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2007. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.