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Selenicereus pteranthus

(Link ex A.Dietr.) Britton & Rose (1909)

This name is accepted

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

queen-of-the-night

Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Plants terrestrial to epiphytic, vine like, clambering, pendent.

Stems: Stems bluish green to purple, to 100–300 × 2.5–5 cm, ribs 4–6, acute, areoles 2–2.5 cm apart along ribs, 1.5–3.0 mm.

Roots: Roots frequently aerial and adventitious.

Leaves: Leaves modified into spines. Spines 1–5, short conic (acicular on immature stems), 1–3 mm; radial and central spines not distinguishable. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers solitary. Flowers bisexual (perfect), 25–30 × 20 cm. Flower tube bearing numerous scales and long, white, hairlike spines. Outer tepals brown or purplish (or yellow?), narrow; inner tepals white, oblanceolate, apex acute. Stamens numerous. Ovary inferior, areoles of ovary bearing numerous scales and long, white, hairlike spines.

Fruit: Fruits red; spheric; 45–70 mm diam.; hidden by short (to 1 cm); yellowish; bristlelike spines and long; white hairlike spines. Seeds black; ovoid to reniform; shiny.

Ploidy: 2n = 22

Habitat: Disturbed coastal sites.

Elevation Range: 0–10 m.

Historical Distribution

Uses and Culture

USES

  • Yes

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Kaua'i Naturalized
O'ahu Potentially naturalizing

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Bibliography

Name Published In: Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 12: 431 (1909)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Selenicereus pteranthus Across from 2266 Tantalus Dr black ciner slope Preserved_Specimen climbing cactus with aerial roots. Stems succulent with 7-8 ribs, with small spines in cushions. Flowers to 40 cm., with long curved tube with spikes and fine brown hairs. Corolla white, calyx yellow turing purplish brown. Stamens yellow. Buds brown, covered with hairs Teraoka, W. 41 Oahu BISH 1979-06-22
2 Selenicereus pteranthus Koloa District: West end of Lawai Road at entrance to Lawai Kai secondary vegetation with Casuarina and Euphorbia tirucalli Preserved_Specimen Climbing hemiepiphytic vine, stems 5-angled. Past flowering, old corolla tubes fallen, fruits green submature. Naturalized locally. Lorence, D.H. 6278 Kauai BISH 1988-09-12
3 Selenicereus pteranthus Honolulu, Oahu Ave., his residence Preserved_Specimen Ehrhorn, E.M. Oahu BISH 1940-06-03
4 Selenicereus pteranthus Lower Waahila ridge along dirtbike trails. Dry ridge full sun, Arboreal on Senna surratensis. Under Leucaena leucocephala Preserved_Specimen Fragmenting and rooting abundantly, sprawling and forming dense thicket up to 1 m tall when self supported, also arboreal. Arthur, K. 60 Oahu BISH 2025-02-14
5 Selenicereus pteranthus Koloa, Lawai Valley. Allerton Gardens (Lawai Kai), along driveway from Spouting Horn Rd climbing and sprawling over rock wall Preserved_Specimen night-blooming, stems green, 4-5 angled, ribs darker green. One fruit seen, externally pinkish-red, pulp white, sweet, seeds black Lorence, D.H. 6615 Kauai BISH 1990-09-27
6 Selenicereus pteranthus Manoa Valley, Mr. Ehrhorn's garden Preserved_Specimen Degener, O. 27264 Oahu BISH 1931-07-01
7 Selenicereus pteranthus 622 Judd Preserved_Specimen Buds dark brown, covered with long white hairs. Nocturnal. Flowers: white petals, outer sepals pinkish-brown, grading to pale yellow inner sepals. Stamens (filaments) and style greenish-yellow, anthers and stigma yellow. Stigma with 18 lobes. Flower tubes bear white hairs, spines, small purplish scales Neal, M.C. Oahu BISH 1944-08-11
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