Selenicereus macdonaldiae (Hook.) Britt. & Rose, Cactaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Cereus macdonaldiae Hook.

Common name(s): [more details]

English: queen of the night

Habit:  cactus

Description:  "Epiphyte climbing by abundant aerial roots; stems to 12 feet long, 0.6 inches in diameter, usually 5-ridged when young, nearly cylindrical at maturity; areoles brownish, on raised tubercles ca 0.1 inch high, spines few, short, brown.  Flowers 12-14 inches long and up to 10 inches in diameter; pedicels and flower tube covered in long black hairs; other tepals reddish, inner tepals white or cream.  Fruit to 3 inches long"  (Staples & Herbst, 2005; p. 215).

Habitat/ecology:  In Hawai‘i, "naturalized locally...in secondary vegetation...and shrubland" (Lorence et al., 1995; pp. 28-29).

Propagation:  "The seeds...are probably dispersed by birds" (Lorence et al., 1995; pp. 28-29).

Native range:  "Native to Cuba, Hispaniola, and the Caribbean coast of Mexico" (Lorence et al., 1995; pp. 28-29).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive	Lorence, David H./Flynn, Timothy W./Wagner, Warren L. (1995) (pp. 28-29) Voucher cited: D. Lorence & T. Flynn 6278 (PTBG)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Honduras Honduras	Honduras (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)

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

Information about Selenicereus macdonaldiae as a weed (worldwide references) may be available from the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

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

References:

Lorence, David H./Flynn, Timothy W./Wagner, Warren L. 1995. Contributions to the flora of Hawai‘i. III. New additions, range extensions, and rediscoveries of flowering plants. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Miller, Scott, E., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 1994. Part 1: Articles. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers. 41:19-58.

Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral R. 2005. A tropical garden flora: plants cultivated in the Hawaiian Islands and other tropical places. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 908 pp.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2011. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. 2011. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.