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Night-blooming cereus is the common name referring to a large number of flowering ceroid cacti that bloom at night. The flowers are short lived, and some of these species, such as '' Selenicereus grandiflorus'', bloom only once a year, for a single night, though most put out multiple flowers over a period of several weeks, each of which opens for only a single night. Other names for one or more cacti with this habit are princess of the night, Honolulu queen (for '' Hylocereus undatus''), Christ in the manger, dama de noche and queen of the night (which is also used for an unrelated plant species).
霸王花
are a common ingredient used in Cantonese slow-simmered soup ( traditional Chinese: 老火湯; pinyin: ''lǎohuǒ tāng''; Jyutping: ''lou5 fo2 tong1''). Some night-blooming cereus plants produce fruits which are large enough for people to consume. These include some of the members of the genus ''Cereus'', but most commonly the fruit of the '' Hylocereus''. ''Hylocereus'' fruit have the advantage of lacking exterior spines, in contrast to the fruit of cacti such as the ''Selenicereus'' fruit, being brightly colored, and having a pleasant taste. Since the late 1990s, ''Hylocereus'' fruit have been commercially grown and sold in tropical locations like Australia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, and Hawaii.
Night Blooming Cereus Bud to Bloom documentation over 33-day period
Night-blooming plants Plant common names Cactoideae
Night-blooming cereus is the common name referring to a large number of flowering ceroid cacti that bloom at night. The flowers are short lived, and some of these species, such as '' Selenicereus grandiflorus'', bloom only once a year, for a single night, though most put out multiple flowers over a period of several weeks, each of which opens for only a single night. Other names for one or more cacti with this habit are princess of the night, Honolulu queen (for '' Hylocereus undatus''), Christ in the manger, dama de noche and queen of the night (which is also used for an unrelated plant species).
Genera and species
While many cacti referred to as night-blooming cereus belong to the tribe Cereeae, other night-blooming cacti in the subfamily Cactoideae may also be called night-blooming cereus. Cacti which may be called by this name include: * '' Cereus'' * '' Echinopsis'' (usually '' Echinopsis pachanoi'', San Pedro cactus) * '' Epiphyllum'' (usually ''Epiphyllum oxypetalum
''Epiphyllum oxypetalum'', the Dutchman's pipe cactus, princess of the night or queen of the night, is a species of cactus. It blooms nocturnally, and its flowers wilt before dawn. Though it is sometimes referred to as a night-blooming cereus, it ...
'', gooseneck cactus; grown as an indoor houseplant throughout the world, and the most popular cultivated night-blooming cereus)
* '' Harrisia''
* '' Hylocereus'' (of which '' Hylocereus undatus'' is the most frequently cultivated outdoors, and is the main source of the commercial fruit crop, dragonfruit)
* ''Monvillea
''Acanthocereus'' is a genus of cactus, cacti. Its species take the form of shrubs with arching or climbing stems up to several meters in height. The generic name is derived from the Greek language, Greek word ''άκανθα'' (''acantha''), me ...
''
* '' Nyctocereus'' (usually '' Nyctocereus serpentinus'')
* ''Peniocereus
''Peniocereus'' is a genus of vining cactus, cacti, comprising about 18 species, found from the southwestern United States and Mexico. They have a large underground tuber, thin and inconspicuous stems.
Its name comes from the prefix ''penio-'' ( ...
'' ('' Peniocereus greggii'', the best known, is strictly a desert plant which grows from an underground tuber and is infrequently cultivated)
* '' Selenicereus'' (usually '' Selenicereus grandiflorus'')
* '' Trichocereus''
Description
Regardless of genus or species, night-blooming cereus flowers are almost always white or very pale shades of other colors, often large, and frequently fragrant. Most of the flowers open after nightfall, and by dawn, most are in the process of wilting. Plants in the same geographical area tend to bloom on the same night. Also for healthy plants there can sometimes be as many as three separate blooming events spread out over the warmest months. The plants that bear such flowers can be tall, columnar, and sometimes extremely large and tree-like, but more frequently are thin-stemmed climbers. While some night-blooming cereus are grown indoors in homes or greenhouses in colder climates, most of these plants are too large or ungainly for this treatment, and are only found outdoors in tropical areas.Cultivation and uses
The dried flowers of the night-blooming cereus霸王花
are a common ingredient used in Cantonese slow-simmered soup ( traditional Chinese: 老火湯; pinyin: ''lǎohuǒ tāng''; Jyutping: ''lou5 fo2 tong1''). Some night-blooming cereus plants produce fruits which are large enough for people to consume. These include some of the members of the genus ''Cereus'', but most commonly the fruit of the '' Hylocereus''. ''Hylocereus'' fruit have the advantage of lacking exterior spines, in contrast to the fruit of cacti such as the ''Selenicereus'' fruit, being brightly colored, and having a pleasant taste. Since the late 1990s, ''Hylocereus'' fruit have been commercially grown and sold in tropical locations like Australia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, and Hawaii.
See also
* Ceroid cactus * Pitaya * Queen of the NightReferences
Notes {{reflist SourcesNight Blooming Cereus Bud to Bloom documentation over 33-day period
Night-blooming plants Plant common names Cactoideae