Selenicereus undatus

(Haw.) D.R.Hunt (2017)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-CoreEudicot Order: Caryophyllales Family: Cactaceae Genus: Selenicereus

dragon fruit, night blooming cereus, night-blooming cereus, pānini o ka Punahou, pānini-o-ka-punahou [panini-o-ka-punahou], papipi pua, red pitaya

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Highly specialized, usually succulent, sprawling terrestrial or epiphytic vines, usually spiny, the spines variable in number, size, arrangement, and color, produced from specialized axillary structures (areoles).

Stems: Stems 3–winged, the wings 2–3 cm wide, thin, crenate with calloused margins. areoles with 1–4 conical spines 1–3 mm long.

Roots: Aerial roots present along the length of the stems.

Leaves: Leaves usually absent. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers solitary. Flowers bisexual (perfect), very rarely unisexual, actinomorphic or occasionally zygomorphic, nocturnal, 25–30 cm long, 15–25 cm in diameter. Sepaloid perianth greenish–white, linear to linear-lanceolate, 10–15 cm long, 1–1.5 cm wide; inner perianth parts white, oblanceolate, 10–15 cm long, ca. 2.5 cm wide, segments indefinite, few to numerous, usually not sharply differentiated into 2 series; the receptacle tube bearing foliaceous scales. Stamens numerous, inserted in the throat of the receptacle tube, staminal filaments cream-colored; anthers dithecal, longitudinally dehiscent. Ovary inferior, very rarely superior, 3-carpellate to many-carpellate, 1-celled; ovules numerous, on parietal placentas, usually campylotropous, with foliaceous scales; style 1, cream-colored, 17.5–20 cm long; stigma lobes up to 24, papillate, cream-colored.

Fruit: Berries red; fleshy; splitting; oblong; 5–12.5 cm long; 4–9 cm in diameter. Seeds numerous; shiny black; ovate–reniform.

Ploidy: 2n = 22

Habitat:

Elevation Range:

Historical Distribution

Images

Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Ni'ihau(Incl. Lehua) Naturalized
Kaua'i Naturalized
O'ahu Naturalized
Molokai Naturalized
Lana'i Naturalized
Kaho'olawe Naturalized
Maui Naturalized
Hawai'i Naturalized

Dispersal Agents

Birds

Vegetative Reproduction

Pollinators

Bibliography

Name Published In: Cactaceae Syst. Init. 36: 35 (2017)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:418 (Ni, K, O, Mo, L, M, Ka, H [as Hylocereus undatus]); Staples & Herbst 2005:210 (KEY), 213 (DESCR); Korotkova et al. 2017:30 (Syn. H. undatus = S. undatus); Faccenda, Arthur, et al. 2025:165 (remove Ni, Mo, Ka [no evidence of nat.])

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Selenicereus undatus U.H. Campus, Newman Center PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Lau, J. 1222 Oahu BISH 7/18/1985
2 Selenicereus undatus honolulu, 524 mapu ln PRESERVED_SPECIMEN coker, a.h. Oahu BISH 11/2/1952
3 Selenicereus undatus Honokahua. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Hank Oppenheimer H80212 Maui PTBG 8/26/2002
4 Selenicereus undatus hedge at punahou, punahou st PRESERVED_SPECIMEN degener, o. collector number: 9999 Oahu BISH 6/28/1935
5 Selenicereus undatus Honolulu, King St PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Grant, M.L. 7366 Oahu BISH 9/23/1934
6 Selenicereus undatus Hedge at Punahou, Punahou St PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Degener, O. 7287 Oahu BISH 10/12/1928
7 Selenicereus undatus Round Top Drive above Honolulu 2/3 way down from summit climbing on vertical rock wall PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Henrickson, J.S. 3831 Oahu BISH 7/6/1969
8 Selenicereus undatus Honolulu, 1930 Ualakaa St., his residence PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Wilder, G.P. s.n. Oahu BISH 9/17/1930
9 Selenicereus undatus hedge at punahou, punahou st PRESERVED_SPECIMEN degener, o. collector number: 7287 Oahu BISH 10/12/1928
10 Selenicereus undatus oahu PRESERVED_SPECIMEN leigh, miss Oahu BISH 6/1/1929
11 Selenicereus undatus Honolulu, 524 Mapu Ln PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Coker, A.H. s.n. Oahu BISH 11/2/1952
12 Selenicereus undatus Koloa, along Paa Nau Rd. just W. of public library old rock wall PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Lorence, D.H. 5590 Kauai BISH 10/12/1987
13 Selenicereus undatus Honolulu, hedge at Punahou, Punahou St PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Neal, M.C. s.n. Oahu BISH 7/9/1930
14 Selenicereus undatus u.h. campus, newman center PRESERVED_SPECIMEN lau, j. collector number: 1222 Oahu BISH 7/18/1985
15 Selenicereus undatus Hedge at Punahou, Punahou St PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Neal, M.C. s.n. Oahu BISH 7/9/1930
16 Selenicereus undatus Punohou Hedge, Punahou, Honolulu PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Baker, R.J. 210 Oahu BISH 9/20/1932
17 Selenicereus undatus round top drive above honolulu 2/3 way down from summit climbing on vertical rock wall PRESERVED_SPECIMEN henrickson, j.s. collector number: 3831 Oahu BISH 7/6/1969
18 Selenicereus undatus hedge at punahou, punahou st PRESERVED_SPECIMEN neal, m.c. Oahu BISH 7/9/1930
19 Selenicereus undatus honolulu, king st PRESERVED_SPECIMEN grant, m.l. collector number: 7366 Oahu BISH 9/23/1934
20 Selenicereus undatus Hedge at Punahou, Punahou St PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Degener, O. 9999 Oahu BISH 6/28/1935
21 Selenicereus undatus honolulu, kamehameha girl's school PRESERVED_SPECIMEN judd jr., a.f. Oahu BISH 9/25/1937
22 Selenicereus undatus Oahu PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Leigh, Miss s.n. Oahu BISH 1929-00-00
23 Selenicereus undatus honolulu, 1930 ualakaa st., his residence trained on a trellis PRESERVED_SPECIMEN wilder, g.p. Oahu BISH 9/17/1930
24 Selenicereus undatus Honolulu, Wilder Ave fence PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Iltis, H.H. H-340 Oahu BISH 7/10/1967
25 Selenicereus undatus punohou hedge, punahou, honolulu PRESERVED_SPECIMEN baker, r.j. collector number: 210 Oahu BISH 9/20/1932
26 Selenicereus undatus honolulu, wilder ave fence PRESERVED_SPECIMEN iltis, h.h. collector number: h-340 Oahu BISH 7/10/1967
27 Selenicereus undatus from the famous hedge of punahou school PRESERVED_SPECIMEN o. degener 9999 NY 6/28/1935
28 Selenicereus undatus koloa, along paa nau rd. just w. of public library old rock wall PRESERVED_SPECIMEN lorence, d.h. collector number: 5590 Kauai BISH 10/12/1987
29 Selenicereus undatus east maui PRESERVED_SPECIMEN aborn, r. s.n. CM 6/15/1962
30 Selenicereus undatus oahu, honolulu, kakela street introduced ornamental PRESERVED_SPECIMEN palmer, r. 801 CM 8/31/1995
31 Selenicereus undatus punahou school PRESERVED_SPECIMEN otto degener 9999 MICH 6/28/1935
32 Selenicereus undatus PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Degener, O. MNHN 6/28/1935
33 Selenicereus undatus fence on wilder blvd., honolulu PRESERVED_SPECIMEN iltis, hugh h. h-340 NY 7/10/1967
34 Selenicereus undatus o’ahu, pinahou school hedge, cultivated PRESERVED_SPECIMEN o. degener 7287 NY 10/12/1928
35 Selenicereus undatus Kalaheo, yard of house at 3581 Kaloke Road. Cultivated. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN David H. Lorence 10534 Kauai PTBG 8/20/2015
36 Selenicereus undatus PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Molokai US 9/6/1995
37 Selenicereus undatus Koloa, along Paa Nau Road, just W. of Koloa Public Library. Escaped and naturalized. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN David H. Lorence 5590 Kauai PTBG 10/12/1987
38 Selenicereus undatus from the famous hedge of punahou school gulch, shaded bank, bottom of gulch PRESERVED_SPECIMEN o. degener 9999 TENN 6/28/1935
39 Selenicereus undatus PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Oahu US 3/19/2004
40 Selenicereus undatus PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Degener, O. 9999 Oahu US 6/28/1935
41 Selenicereus undatus PRESERVED_SPECIMEN o. degener 9999 Oahu US 6/28/1935
42 Selenicereus undatus PRESERVED_SPECIMEN j. lau 1222 WIS 7/18/1985
43 Selenicereus undatus PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Lau, J. 1222 Oahu US 7/18/1985
44 Selenicereus undatus PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Maui US 2/8/2005
45 Selenicereus undatus honolulu, hedge at punahou, punahou st PRESERVED_SPECIMEN neal, m.c. Oahu BISH 7/9/1930