Cleistocactus smaragdiflorus

(Weber) Speg.

Firecracker cactus

Cactaceae Edible: Fruit 103 iNaturalist observations

iNaturalist· cc-by-nc

Contribute a photo Sign in required

Summary

Source: Wikipedia

Cleistocactus smaragdiflorus is a species of Cleistocactus found in Bolivia and Argentina.

Description

An upright cactus. It has stiff columns. It grows about 2 m high. It later lies over. The stems are 4-6 cm thick. The spines are yellowish brown and closely arranged. The columns have 12-16 ribs. The upper spines are 3 cm long. The flowers are narrow and like tubes. They are red with green tips. They are 5 cm long. The fruit are round.

Edible Uses

The fruit is edible.

Distribution

A subtropical plant. It grows in dry and arid areas. It grows up to 2,700 m above sea level. It needs full sun. It needs a temperature above 13°C.

Where It Grows

Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, Slovenia, South America*, Uruguay,

Cultivation

They are probably pollinated by hummingbirds. They can normally be grown from seed or cuttings.

Propagation

Seed - Cuttings

Synonyms

Cereus smaragdifloris F.A.C. Weber

Also Known As

Kaktus mercon, Sitiquira, Smaragdnocvetni zaprtocvetnik

References (6)

Altschul, S.V.R., 1973, Drugs and Foods from Little-known Plants. Notes in Harvard University Herbaria. Harvard Univ. Press. Massachusetts. no. 2990
Anderson, E.F., 2001, The Cactus Family, Timber Press p 162
Anderson, M., 2002, The World Encyclopedia of Cacti and Succulents. Hermes House, New York. p 57 (Genus)
Innes, C. and Glass, C., 1997, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Cacti. Sandstone Books. p 45
Kermath, B. M., et al, 2014, Food Plants in the Americas: A survey of the domesticated, cultivated and wild plants used for Human food in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. On line draft. p 242

Show all 6 references