User:Cactus.expert.43/sandbox

The Night-blooming Cereus;Hylocereus monacanthus, is a species of cactus native to Northern South America, Panama, and the Caribbean.

Distribution
Hylocereus monacanthus is native to Northern South America, Panama, and the Caribbean.

Habitat and Ecology
Hylocereus monacanthus is widely distributed in deciduous forest, lowland forest, coastal plains and shrub lands at altitudes ranging from 0 to 2000 meters above sea level. The flowers bloom at night but fade away by the next morning. This species is an Epiphyte that roots in the ground and climbs upwards, befitting from a humid environment and direct exposure to sunlight. It develops roots that embed themselves in the ground and uses adventitious roots to support itself in the ground.

Morphology


Individuals of this species are have stems that are gray-green without horny margins. Flowers are approximately 30 cm long with white petals, tinged pinkish near base or entirely pink. The flowers are Hermaphroditic and tubular. The flower Possesses a tube with distant bracts and it's stigma lobes are usually forked. It produces red fruit with purple pulp.

Fruit
Hylocereus monacanthus produces a red-pink Berry that is about 18 centimeters in diameter. It's pulp is a dark purple with many seeds distributed throughout the fruit. The fruit is posesses spines growing from 1 to 3 centimeters.

Food
The fruit of Hylocereus monacanthus is slightly sweet, only slightly sour being weakly aromatic. It is usually served fresh and not cooked as it loses most of it's flavor through cooking. The fruit is used in salads and juices with the juice providing use as a salad dressing. The flowers can be cooked and eaten as vegetables.