1.
Pereskia aculeata
Miller, Gard. Dict., ed. 8. 1768.
Lemon vine, blade apple cactus, Barbados gooseberry
Cactus pereskia
Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 1: 469. 1753
Shrubs or vines
, clambering, 3-10 m.
Stems
to 3 cm diam., spiny; areoles to 15 mm diam., largest on basal portion of stem.
Leaves
lanceolate to ovate or oblong, 4.5-11 × 1.5-5 cm, 0.5-1 mm thick.
Spines
of 2 kinds; primary spines (= first formed) 2 per areole, recurved, clawlike, 4-8 mm; secondary spines to 25 per older areole, straight, 10-35 mm.
Flowers
to 70 in terminal or lateral inflorescences, fragrant, 3 × 2.5-5 cm; pedicels 5-15 mm; tepals perigynous; scales and areoles on prominent to inconspicuous tubercles; perianth whitish to light pink.
Fruits
yellow to orange, spheric, not angled, 40 × 15-25 mm, never proliferating.
Seeds
lenticular, 4.5-5 mm diam., glossy.
2
n
= 22.
Flowering summer-fall (Aug-Oct). Disturbed shell middens (Fla.), riparian woodlands with fine, sandy loam (Tex.); 0-50 m; introduced; Fla., Tex.; West Indies; South America.
Pereskia aculeata
is cultivated as an ornamental, both for its edible fruits and fragrant flowers (though the scent is considered unpleasant by some). The species has escaped from cultivation in seven counties in Florida: Brevard, Dade, Indian River, Manatee, Highlands, St. Lucie, and Palm Beach, and it is established in Willacy County, near the southernmost tip of Texas (J. Ideker 1996).
