Xerophyte

Leaves

Short-petioled, simple, entire, lanceolate to ovate, short-acuminate at the apex, tapering or rounded at base, about 4-10 cm long, 2-4 cm broad, salmon-yellow with the underneath side of the leaves a reddish purple. Typically, Pereskia aculeataSN|27182]]SN|27182]] var. godseffiana has a deciduous lifecycle, so it tends to shed its leaves annually in the dry season.

Seeds

Black, somewhat flattened, 4 to 5 mm in diameter; hilum basal, circular, depressed, or crater-shaped.

Description

Pereskia aculeataSN|27182]]SN|27182]] cv Godseffiana also known as "Lemon Vine" or "Yellow Rose Cactus" is a unique vining leafy cactus that is not succulent, it bears spines in pairs or trios. This plant may not look like a typical cactus but it in fact is. Leaves of green to goldish yellow with peach tones highlight the white fragrant rose-like flowers that are produced all summer. The fruit is yellow and spiny. It is evergreen but may be deciduous in the dry season.

Flowers

Numerous in panicles or corymbs, white, pale yellow, or pinkish, 2.5 to 5 cm broad strongly scented; ovary leafy and often spiny.

Blooming Season

In the greenhouse, the plants bloom in late spring.

Spines

Short hooked in clusters of 2 or 3 in the axils of the leaves of younger stem. Spines on older, lower part of stem solitary or 2 or 3 together, slender, woody and straight occasionally up to 7 cm long.

Stem

At first erect and then vining to about 9 m long.

Fruits

A rounded berry, translucent white to light yellow, orange or red, 1.5 to 2 cm in diameter, when mature quite smooth. The fruit are also edible, containing numerous small seeds. It somewhat resembles the gooseberry in appearance and is of excellent flavour.

Areoles

There are 1-3 spines in each areole.