Pereskia guamacho

F.A.C. Weber

Guamacho

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Description

A shrubby or small tree-like cactus growing 4-8 m high with smooth trunks 1-2 m high and 25 cm wide, featuring leaves that vary in shape (narrowly oval, 2-7 cm long by 1-6 cm wide). It produces yellow flowers (2-5 cm across) and small round green fleshy fruit (1.5-2 cm across).

Edible Uses

The round green fleshy fruit are bitter-sweet and eaten.

Traditional Uses

The fruit are bitter sweet.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Where It Grows

Fruit,

Other Information

Cactaceae

Notes

A cactus. It is shrubby or like a small tree. It grows 4-8 m high. The trunks are 1-2 m high and 25 cm wide. They are smooth. The leaves vary in shape and size. They are narrowly oval and 2-7 cm long by 1-6 cm wide. The leaf stalks are 1-5 mm long. There are groups of 0-2 spines on the twigs and groups of 50-60 spines on the trunks. These are 3-5 cm long. The flowers are on the side of branches and can occur singly or in 2's or 3's. They are yellow and 2-5 cm across. The fruit are round and 1.5-2 cm across. They are green and fleshy.

Synonyms

Pereskia colombiana Britton & RoseRhodocactus colombianus (Britton & Rose) F.M. KnuthRhodocactus guamacho (F.A.C. Weber) F.M. Knuth

Also Known As

Fachno, Siichi, Supi, Suspiro

References (6)

Anderson, E.F., 2001, The Cactus Family, Timber Press. p 58, 569
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 630 (As Pereskia colombiana)
Lopez-Diago, D. & Garcia, N., 2021, Wild edible fruits of Colombia. Biota ColomBiana 22 (2) p 34
Martin, F. W., et al, 1987, Perennial Edible Fruits of the Tropics. USDA Handbook 642 p 89
Roa, J. A. G. & Boada, D. S. G., 2018, Fundación para el Fortalecimiento de la Fruticultura y Plantas Alimenticias no Convencionales en Colombia.

Show all 6 references