Peruvian Apple Cactus/Cereus repandus (syn. Cereus peruvianus), the Peruvian apple cactus, is a large, erect, thorny columnar cactus found in South America. It is also known as giant club cactus, hedge cactus, cadushi (in Papiamento and Wayuunaiki), and kayush.
Cereus repandus is grown mostly as an ornamental plant but has some local culinary importance. The Wayuu from the La Guajira Peninsula of Colombia and Venezuela also use the inner cane-like wood of the plant in wattle and daub construction.[rx]
With an often tree-like appearance, its cylindrical gray-green to blue stems can reach 10 meters (33 feet) in height and 10–20 cm in diameter as a self-supporting plant. However, if supported by a scaffold, C. repandus has grown to a height of 110 feet (34 meters) at the SDM College of Dental Sciences at Dharwad, Karnataka, India,[rx] technically making this the tallest cactus plant in the world, although no cactus under natural conditions exceeds eighty-two feet (25 meters) in height in the case of Cereus stenogonus.[rx] There are nine to ten rounded ribs that are up to 1 centimeter high. The small areoles on it are far apart. The gray, needle-like thorns are very variable. They are often numerous, but can also be missing entirely. The longest thorns are up to 5 centimeters long.
The large, cream-colored, nocturnal flowers remain open for only one night and are of vital importance to pollinating bats. The fruits, known locally as pitaya, olala (only in some parts of Bolivia) or Peruvian apple, are thornless and vary in skin color from violet-red to yellow. The edible flesh is white and contains small, edible, crunchy seeds. The flesh sweetens as the fruit opens out fully. As the cactus grows in arid regions and fruits in the dry seasons, the fruit is an essential source of food for birds in its native range.[5]
| Peruvian Apple Cactus Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Peruvian Apple Cactus |
| Scientific Name: | Cereus repandus |
| Colors | Blue-purple to orange-red |
| Flesh colors | White |
| Taste | Mild, sweet |
Cereus repandus is also known as Peruvian Apple Cactus is a large, erect, and thorny columnar cactus that is found in South America. It is also known from other common names such as giant club cactus, cadushi, hedge cactus, and kush. It has a tree-like appearance with cylindrical, gray-green to blue stems which reach 10 meters high and 10-20 cm in diameter. Flowers are large, cream-colored, and nocturnal opens for only one night. Fruits are thornless and vary in skin color from violet-red to yellow. The flesh is white which contains small, edible, and crunchy seeds. The cactus grows in arid regions and fruits in dry seasons, fruit is a great food source for birds in the native range. It grows to the height of 10 meters. Usually, the plant has branches from near the ground having a main stem that is 40 cm in diameter.
Culinary uses
Fruit is consumed raw as the flesh has mild and sweet flavor.
References
