''Hylocereus'' is a former

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of epiphytic

cacti A cactus (, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae, a family comprising about 127 genera with some 1750 known species of the order Caryophyllales. The word ''cactus'' derives, through Latin, from the Ancient Greek ...

, often referred to as night-blooming cactus (though the term is also used for many other cacti). Several

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

previously placed in the genus have large edible

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...

s, which are known as

pitaya A pitaya () or pitahaya () is the fruit of several different cactus species indigenous to the Americas. Pitaya usually refers to fruit of the genus ''Stenocereus'', while pitahaya or dragon fruit refers to fruit of the genus ''Selenicereus'' ( ...

s, pitahayas or dragonfruits. In 2017, a

molecular phylogenetic Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...

study confirmed an earlier finding that the genus ''Hylocereus'' was nested within ''Selenicereus'', so all the species of ''Hylocereus'' were transferred to ''

Selenicereus ''Selenicereus'', sometimes known as moonlight cactus, is a genus of epiphytic, lithophytic, and terrestrial cacti, found in Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and northern South America. The term night-blooming cereus is also sometimes use ...

''.

Description

The species previously placed in the genus ''Hylocereus'' grow hanging, climbing or epiphytic. They are freely branched, shrubby plants that form aerial roots and become very large with a height of 10 m or more. The green, often glaucous shoots are usually terete or triangular.

Taxonomy

In the 1994 classification of the International Cactaceae Systematics Group of the

International Organization for Succulent Plant Study The International Organization for Succulent Plant Study (IOS) describes itself as a "non-governmental organization promoting the study and conservation of succulent and allied plants and encouraging collaboration among scientists and curators ...

, the genus ''Hylocereus'' was one of the six genera of the tribe

Hylocereeae The Hylocereeae are a tribe of cacti. Most are found in the tropical forests of Central and northern South America, and are climbers or epiphytes, unlike most cacti. The tribe includes between six and eight genera in different circumscriptions ...

., p. 101 A 2011 study of the

molecular phylogeny Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...

of the Cactaceae concluded that neither the tribe nor the genus was

monophyletic In cladistics for a group of organisms, monophyly is the condition of being a clade—that is, a group of taxa composed only of a common ancestor (or more precisely an ancestral population) and all of its lineal descendants. Monophyletic gro ...

(i.e. neither comprised all the descendants of a common ancestor). Two species of ''Hylocereus'' formed a

clade A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English term, ...

with two species of ''

'', suggesting that the genera were not distinct. This result was confirmed in a larger study in 2017, and all the species of ''Hylocereus'' were transferred to ''Selenicereus''.

Species

Species that were placed in the genus in 2012 that are now placed in ''Selenicereus'' include the following. *''Hylocereus calcaratus'' → ''

Selenicereus calcaratus ''Selenicereus'', sometimes known as moonlight cactus, is a genus of epiphytic, lithophytic, and terrestrial cacti, found in Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and northern South America. The term night-blooming cereus is also sometimes ...

'' *''Hylocereus costaricensis'' → ''

Selenicereus costaricensis ''Selenicereus costaricensis'', synonym ''Hylocereus costaricensis'', known as the Costa Rican pitahaya or Costa Rica nightblooming cactus, is a cactus species native to Central America and north-eastern South America. The species is grown comme ...

'' *''Hylocereus escuintlensis'' → ''

Selenicereus escuintlensis ''Selenicereus'', sometimes known as moonlight cactus, is a genus of epiphytic, lithophytic, and terrestrial cacti, found in Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and northern South America. The term night-blooming cereus is also sometimes ...

'' *''Hylocereus megalanthus'' → ''

Selenicereus megalanthus ''Selenicereus megalanthus'', synonym ''Hylocereus megalanthus'', is a cactus species in the genus ''Selenicereus'' that is native to northern South America, where it is known, along with its fruit, by the name of ''pitahaya''. The species is gr ...

'' *''Hylocereus monacanthus'' → ''

Selenicereus monacanthus ''Selenicereus monacanthus'', Synonym (taxonomy), synonym ''Hylocereus monacanthus'', is a species of plant in the family Cactus, Cactaceae. It is native to parts of Central America and South America (Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Pan ...

'' *''Hylocereus minutiflorus'' → ''

Selenicereus minutiflorus ''Selenicereus'', sometimes known as moonlight cactus, is a genus of epiphytic, lithophytic, and terrestrial cacti, found in Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and northern South America. The term night-blooming cereus is also sometimes ...

'' *''Hylocereus ocamponis'' → ''

Selenicereus ocamponis ''Selenicereus'', sometimes known as moonlight cactus, is a genus of epiphytic, lithophytic, and terrestrial cacti, found in Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and northern South America. The term night-blooming cereus is also sometimes ...

'' *''Hylocereus setaceus'' → '' Selenicereus setaceus'' *''Hylocereus stenopterus'' → ''

Selenicereus stenopterus ''Selenicereus'', sometimes known as moonlight cactus, is a genus of epiphytic, lithophytic, and terrestrial cacti, found in Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and northern South America. The term night-blooming cereus is also sometimes ...

'' *''Hylocereus triangularis'' → ''

Selenicereus triangularis ''Selenicereus'', sometimes known as moonlight cactus, is a genus of epiphytic, lithophytic, and terrestrial cacti, found in Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and northern South America. The term night-blooming cereus is also sometimes ...

'' *''Hylocereus trigonus'' → ''

Selenicereus trigonus ''Selenicereus'', sometimes known as moonlight cactus, is a genus of epiphytic, lithophytic, and terrestrial cacti, found in Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and northern South America. The term night-blooming cereus is also sometimes ...

'' *''Hylocereus undatus'' → ''

Selenicereus undatus ''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 f ...

References

CactiGuide: ''Hylocereus''
{{Taxonbar, from1=Q133960, from2=Q14928251 Historically recognized angiosperm genera Cacti of North America Night-blooming plants

Description

Taxonomy

Species

See also

References