HYLOCEREUS UNDATUS: CHARACTERISTICS, HABITAT, PROPERTIES - BIOLOGY - 2024

The pithaya (Hylocereus undatus) is a species of the cactus family that is widely distributed in Mexico. In this country it is also known as tapatío junco, orejona pitahaya, queen of the night pitahaya, thistle pitahaya and jerky. It is a plant adaptable to various types of soil and requires little water, making it an option to convert cultivation areas.

This plant species is perennial and needs a support, because due to its morphology it is not possible to support itself. It is a plant that resists drought, while it grows without difficulty at sea level.

Hylocereus undatus flowering. Brocken inaglory

The pitahaya is highly valued as an ornamental and cultivated plant due to the great demand for its fruits. Therefore, this species can be used as a source of income and a generator of employment, especially in Mexico. However, due to its great demand, the conservation of the pitahaya is being threatened by anthropic action.

characteristics

Generalities

It is a terrestrial or epiphytic plant. It requires a lot of sunlight to flourish, and precipitation and high temperatures promote its development. The pitahaya flowers in summer, while it is in the rainy season, and four to seven flowering cycles can occur during eight months.

Hylocereus undatus is a non-climacteric species. In its natural state it grows on Oak and Huano trees.

Stem

This plant has green, triangular stems, and as they age they become more or less glaucous. The stems climb trees or even walls, they are long and highly branched. They measure between 5 and 6 cm in diameter.

The areolas on the stem are spaced about 3 to 4 cm apart. It has small spines, 1 to 3, and about 2 to 4 cm long.

Hylocereus undatus stem. Sadambio at hu.wikipedia

Regarding its morphology, flower buds can be produced in groups of three to five on the margin of the stems. Of these, between two and three manage to reach anthesis in the next 17 days.

Flower

The flower of the pitahaya is large, bell-shaped and tubular, it is hermaphrodite, white or pink in color. The size of the flower is between 20 to 35 cm in length, and 34 cm in diameter. Anthesis occurs at night. The flower has thin filaments and thick stamens.

Hylocereus undatus flower bud. Source: pixabay.com

Fruit

The fruit is an ellipsoidal to oval berry, about 10 cm in diameter and 12 cm long; it is covered by a red to red-purple rind, and has fleshy bracts. It can also be red, pink, or yellow and differ in taste.

The pitahaya is characterized by having a fruit with a white pulp that contains abundant and black seeds. According to its size, the production of seeds also varies. The harvest time varies from 28 to 50 days approximately, depending on the area and climate where it is growing.

Regarding the production of the fruit, it has been reported between 70 and 80% pulp. As already mentioned, the number of seeds varies according to the formation of the edible tissue, since it derives from the papillary cells of the funiculus. For its part, the funiculus is the segment that joins the placenta with the ovule, and in turn the funiculus grows as the seed develops.

Fruit of the pitahaya. Source: pixabay.com

Meanwhile, pollination is affected by rain; therefore, the less pollination, the less pulp formation in the fruit. The external color of the fruits is considered as a character that indicates their quality.

Taxonomy

Hylocereus undatus was described by Britton and Rose in 1918. Its synonym is Cereus undatus (Haw.). The taxonomic description is as follows:

- Kingdom: Plantae.

- Phylum: Tracheophyta.

- Class: Equisetopsida.

- Order: Caryophyllales.

- Family: Cactaceae.

- Genus: Hylocereus.

- Species: Hylocereus undatus.

Habitat and distribution

Hylocereus undatus is a plant that requires little amount of water for its survival, and therefore, it is considered as resistant to drought. This plant can grow from sea level to 1850 m.

Favorable climatic conditions for its development are between 18 and 26 ° C, and with rainfall between 650 and 1500 mm per year. This cactus does best in warm subhumid climates.

The pitahaya in its habitat. Forest & Kim Starr

The distribution of pitahaya as an intensive crop started from Nicaragua, and from there, due to its adaptability, it has spread to Central America, and to countries in America, Asia, the Middle East, Oceania, and tropical and subtropical countries throughout the world.

Properties

The benefits of pitahaya are concentrated in its fruit. For this reason, the frequent collection of these has promoted the diversity of the shape, size, color and organoleptic properties of this species.

Fruit of the pitahaya. Source: pixabay.com

The pitahaya is used as food, as a treatment in traditional medicine, and ornamentally. Regarding its use in industrialization, pitahaya is useful for obtaining pectins, colorings, jams, wines, jellies, and energy drinks.

Culture

The pitahaya grows on live supports or stakes of some 64 plant species, generally dry wooden logs. Its cultivation is simple, since it requires little fumigation, fertilization and cleaning. For its part, pruning is necessary for this species.

Regarding the cultivation conditions, it has been indicated that in the state of Sinaloa in Mexico, the optimal conditions are achieved to cultivate the pitahaya; With the exception of the surrounding areas that have frosts.

Regarding the cultivation, it is known that during the productive stage, the favorable temperature to reach the maximum yield is 32 ° C. It has been reported that during the productive stage of this cactus, a temperature of 38 ° C can affect its production.

For its part, the yield that pitahaya achieves per hectare is dependent on the technology with which it is grown. In this sense, a traditional system can produce 40 fruits of about 250 g on average weight, and reach a yield of 14 Mg.ha ^-1 from the seventh year.

In contrast, using advanced technology (shade house and fertigation) from the second year of cultivation, 16 Mg.ha ^-1 are produced.

References

1. Osuna-Enciso, T., Valdez-Torres, J., Sañudo-Barajas, J., Muy-Rangel, MD, hernández-Verdugo, S., Villareal-Romero, M., Osuna-Rodríguez, J. 2016. Phenology Reproduction, yield and quality of pitahaya fruit (Hylocereus undatus (How.) Britton and Rose) in the Culiacán Valley, Sinaloa, Mexico. Agrociencia 50: 61-78.
2. Manzanero-Acevedo, LA, Márquez, R., Zamora-Crescencio, P., Rodríguez-Canché, L., Ortega-Haas, JJ, Dzib, B. 2014. Conservation of the Pitahaya (Hylocereus undatus (Haw.) Britton & Rose) in the state of Campeche, Mexico. Foresta Veracruzana 16 (1): 9-16.
3. Tropics. 2019. Hylocereus undatus (Haw.) Britton & Rose. Taken from: tropicos.org
4. Catalog of Life. 2014. Hylocereus undatus (Haw.) Britton & Rose. Taken from: catalogueoflife.org
5. Hernández, M., García, W., Zavala, W., Romero, L., Rojas, E., Rodríguez, A., Gutiérrez, J., Bautista, D., Reyes, R. 2018. Pitahaya (Hylocereus undatus) Agroecological management plan for its cultivation in the Halachado-Maxcanú region, Yucatán. Chapingo Autonomous University. 106 p.