Selenicereus undatus

Selenicereus undatus
Fruit
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Cactaceae
Subfamily: Cactoideae
Genus: Selenicereus
Species:
S. undatus
Binomial name
Selenicereus undatus
(Haworth) D.R.Hunt
Synonyms
  • Cactus triangularis aphyllus Jacquin
  • Cereus triangularis major de Candolle
  • Cereus undatus Haworth
  • Cereus tricostatus Gosselin
  • Hylocereus tricostatus (Gosselin) Britton & Rose
  • Hylocereus undatus (Haworth) Britton & Rose

Selenicereus undatus, the white-fleshed pitahaya, is a species of the genus Selenicereus (formerly Hylocereus) in the family Cactaceae and is the most cultivated species in the genus. It is used both as an ornamental vine and as a fruit crop – the pitahaya or dragon fruit.

Like all true cacti, the genus originates in the Americas, S. undatus is originates from Mexico to Honduras; it may be a hybrid. It is most frequently attributed to the island of Martinique in the West Indies.