Pereskia is a
genusIn biology, a genus is a taxonomic unit used in the classification of living and fossil organisms. The term comes from Latin genus "descent, family, type, gender" , cognate with – genos, "race, stock, kin" ..In addition, genus is a taxonomic rank in the hierarchy In biology, a genus (plural:...
of about 25 tropical
speciesIn biology, a species is:* a taxonomic rank or* a unit at that rank ....
and
varietiesIn botanical nomenclature, variety is a taxonomic rank below that of species: As such, it gets a ternary name .A variety will have an appearance distinct from other varieties, but will hybridize freely with those other varieties...
of
cactiA cactus is any member of the plant family Cactaceae, native to the Americas. They are often used as ornamental plants, but some are also crop plants. Cacti are grown for protection of property from wild animals, as well as many other uses...
that do not look much like other types of cacti, having substantial leaves and thin stems. They originate from the region between
BrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is a country in South America. It is the fifth largest country by geographical area, occupying nearly half of South America, the fifth most populous country, and the fourth most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean...
and
MexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. The genus is named after
Nicolas-Claude Fabri de PeirescNicolas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc was a French astronomer, antiquary and savant who maintained a wide correspondence with scientists and was a successful organizer of scientific inquiry...
, a 16th century French botanist, which also has been given its own subfamily
Pereskioideae. Members of this genus are usually referred to as
lemon vines,
rose cacti or
leaf cacti, though the latter also refers to the genus
EpiphyllumEpiphyllum is a genus of 19 species of epiphytic plants in the cactus family , native to Central America. Common names for these species include orchid cacti and leaf cacti, though the latter also refers to the genus Pereskia.The stems are broad and flat, 1-5 cm broad, 3-5 mm thick,...
.
Species of
Pereskia generally resemble other types of plants, such as
wild roseWild Rose is the name given to certain flowering shrubs:*Genus Rosa:** Rosa acicularis, or Wild Rose, a rose species which occurs in Asia, Europe, and North America...
s.
Pereskia is a
genusIn biology, a genus is a taxonomic unit used in the classification of living and fossil organisms. The term comes from Latin genus "descent, family, type, gender" , cognate with – genos, "race, stock, kin" ..In addition, genus is a taxonomic rank in the hierarchy In biology, a genus (plural:...
of about 25 tropical
speciesIn biology, a species is:* a taxonomic rank or* a unit at that rank ....
and
varietiesIn botanical nomenclature, variety is a taxonomic rank below that of species: As such, it gets a ternary name .A variety will have an appearance distinct from other varieties, but will hybridize freely with those other varieties...
of
cactiA cactus is any member of the plant family Cactaceae, native to the Americas. They are often used as ornamental plants, but some are also crop plants. Cacti are grown for protection of property from wild animals, as well as many other uses...
that do not look much like other types of cacti, having substantial leaves and thin stems. They originate from the region between
BrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is a country in South America. It is the fifth largest country by geographical area, occupying nearly half of South America, the fifth most populous country, and the fourth most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean...
and
MexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. The genus is named after
Nicolas-Claude Fabri de PeirescNicolas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc was a French astronomer, antiquary and savant who maintained a wide correspondence with scientists and was a successful organizer of scientific inquiry...
, a 16th century French botanist, which also has been given its own subfamily
Pereskioideae. Members of this genus are usually referred to as
lemon vines,
rose cacti or
leaf cacti, though the latter also refers to the genus
EpiphyllumEpiphyllum is a genus of 19 species of epiphytic plants in the cactus family , native to Central America. Common names for these species include orchid cacti and leaf cacti, though the latter also refers to the genus Pereskia.The stems are broad and flat, 1-5 cm broad, 3-5 mm thick,...
.
Species of
Pereskia generally resemble other types of plants, such as
wild roseWild Rose is the name given to certain flowering shrubs:*Genus Rosa:** Rosa acicularis, or Wild Rose, a rose species which occurs in Asia, Europe, and North America...
s.
Pereskia species have large, bright green, privet-like leaves and long spiny stems. Not always succulent plants, they can be classified as shrubs, climbing plants or slightly succulent trees. However, close examination shows spines developing from
areoleAreoles are the distinctive feature of cacti, and identify them as a separate family from other succulent plants. Areoles give rise to spines or, on certain cacti, small, detachable glochids which are an additional form of protection. The areoles on cacti are clearly visible...
s, and the distinctive floral cup of the cactus family. Unlike
PereskiopsisPereskiopsis is a genus of cacti .Peireskiopsis
Vaupel is an orthographic variant.-Description:...
,
MaihueniaMaihuenia is a genus of cactus and the sole genus of the subfamily Maihuenioideae, which is the smallest subfamily of the Cactaceae. The genus comprises 2 cushion-forming, mucilaginous species. They are found at high elevation habitats of Andean Argentina and Chile....
, QuiabentiaQuiabentia is a genus of cacti, closely related to Pereskiopsis....
and
AustrocylindropuntiaAustrocylindropuntia is a genus of cacti . There are 11 recognized species, which were once included in the genus Opuntia.- External links :*...
which have persistent succulent leaves,
Pereskia is the only cactus genus that has persistent non-succulent leaves. It is believed that this is the origin of other cacti.
Shrub species usually grow to 1m in height, but climbing or arborescent species can reach 5 to 20 m. Flowers may appear alone or in clusters. They generally resemble
roseA rose is a perennial flower shrub or vine of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae, that contains over 100 species and comes in a variety of colours. The species form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles...
s and reach a diameter of 1 to 5 cm. Colors of the flower depend on each species and vary from white, yellow to magenta or red. Fruits are ordinarily spherical, of 2 to 5 cm diameter, and are wine red when ripe.
Most of the species are found in dry forests or thorny scrub, in tropical climates with a dry season of two to five months. They are found from southern
MexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
to
ColombiaColombia , officially the Republic of Colombia , is a constitutional republic in northwestern South America. Colombia is bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the northwest by Panama; and to the west by the Pacific Ocean...
and
VenezuelaVenezuela , officially titled Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It is a continental mainland with numerous islands located off its coastline in the Caribbean Sea...
, and throughout the West Indies, as well as the eastern part of
BrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is a country in South America. It is the fifth largest country by geographical area, occupying nearly half of South America, the fifth most populous country, and the fourth most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean...
south to northern
UruguayUruguay , is a country located in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to 3.46 million people, of whom 1.1 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area. An estimated 88–94% of the population are of mostly European and/or mixed descent.Uruguay's only land border is...
and
ArgentinaArgentina, officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America, constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires. It is the eighth largest country in the world by land area and the largest among Spanish-speaking nations, though Mexico,...
. Several types are native to the
AndesThe Andes are the world's longest exposed mountain range. They lie as a continuous chain of highland along the western coast of South America...
in
PeruPeru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean.Peruvian territory was home to the Norte Chico...
and
BoliviaBolivia, officially Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is bordered by Brazil to the north and east, Paraguay and Argentina to the south, and Chile and Peru to the west....
, though not on the Pacific side. They have found in the US state of
FloridaFlorida is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the north. It was the 27th state admitted to the United States...
, but are probably introductions rather than natives.
Species
- Pereskia aculeata - Barbados gooseberry
Pereskia aculeata is a species of Pereskia, a genus of unusual cacti with spiny non-succulent stems and large leaves. It is native to tropical America....
- Pereskia aculeata var. rotundifolia
- Pereskia aureiflora
Pereskia aureiflora is a species of plant in the Cactaceae family. It is endemic to Brazil. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and hot deserts. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
- Pereskia bahiensis
Pereskia bahiensis is a species of plant in the Cactaceae family. It is endemic to Brazil. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland. It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:...
- Pereskia bleo
- Pereskia colombiana
- Pereskia corrugata
- Pereskia cubensis
- Pereskia diaz-romeroana
- Pereskia godseffiana
- Pereskia grandifolia
Pereskia grandifolia is a tree native to the Northeastern Brazil restingas. This plant is often used as a medicinal plant and an ornamental plant...
- Pereskia grandifolia var. violacea
- Pereskia guamacho
- Pereskia horrida
- Pereskia humboldtii
- Pereskia humboldtii var. rauhii (syn. P. horrida)
- Pereskia lychnidiflora
- Pereskia marcanoi
- Pereskia nemorosa
- Pereskia philippi
- Pereskia portulacifolia
- Pereskia quisqueyana
Pereskia quisqueyana is a species of plant in the Cactaceae family. It is endemic to the Dominican Republic. Its natural habitats include subtropical or tropical dry forests. It is critically endangered due to habitat loss....
- Pereskia sacharosa
- Pereskia stenantha
Pereskia stenantha is a species of plant in the Cactaceae family. It is endemic to Brazil. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland. It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:...
- Pereskia subulata
- Pereskia vargasii
- Pereskia vaugasii var. longispina
- Pereskia weberiana
- Pereskia zehntneri
- Pereskia ziniiflora
- Pereskia zinniaefolia
Most likely
Charles PlumierCharles Plumier was a French botanist, after whom the genus Plumeria, or Frangipani is named.-Biography:Born in Marseille, at the age of sixteen he entered the religious order of the Minims...
collected the first
Pereskia specimens from the West Indies between 1689 and 1695, but none of these have survived. Although Plumier described
Pereskia in 1703, Linnaeus placed Plumier's two species in his
Cactus, as C. pereskia
and C. portacifolius
. Philip MillerPhilip Miller was a botanist of Scottish descent.Miller was chief gardener at the Chelsea Physic Garden from 1722 until he was pressured to retire shortly before his death...
brought the original name back in 1754, and so by the rules of botanical nomenclatureBotanical nomenclature is the formal, scientific naming of plants. It has a long history, going back to the period when Latin was the scientific language throughout Europe, and perhaps further back to Theophrastos. The key event was Linnaeus’ adoption of binary names for plant species in his...
, he is credited as the author.
The genus Rhodocactus
(A.Berger) F.M.Knuth has been brought into synonymy with this genus, as well as different orthographic variants: Peirescia
Zucc. (orth. var.), Peireskia
Steud. (orth. var.) and Perescia
Lem. (orth. var.).
Uses
The genus is not of great economic importance, the most common usage being as hedges;
they are easily transplanted and quickly grow into an impenetrable thicket, as well as flowering prolifically. Being more tolerant of moisture than more succulent cacti, they can be used as rootstock for grafting of Zygocactus to create miniature trees.
Pereskias have been
naturalisedIn biology, naturalisation is the process when foreign or cultivated plants or animals have spread into the wild, where they multiply by natural regeneration....
in the
CaribbeanThe Caribbean is a region consisting of the Caribbean Sea, its islands , and the surrounding coasts...
, the West Indies and
West AfricaWest Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries distributed over an area of approximately 5 million square km:*Benin...
.
These species contain
tyramineTyramine is a naturally-occurring monoamine compound and trace amine derived from the amino acid tyrosine. Tyramine acts as a catecholamine releasing agent...
, and
phenethylaminePhenethylamine is a natural monoamine alkaloid, trace amine, and psychoactive drug with stimulant effects. In the mammalian central nervous system, phenethylamine is believed to function as a neuromodulator or neurotransmitter. It is biosynthesized from the amino acid phenylalanine by enzymatic...
.