Pereskia

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Pereskia
Pereskia aculeata (Scott Zona) 001.jpg
Pereskia aculeata
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Cactaceae
Subfamily: Pereskioideae
Engelm.
Genus: Pereskia
Mill.
Species

See text.

Pereskia is a small genus of about four species of cacti that do not look much like other types of cacti, having substantial leaves and non-succulent stems. The genus is named after Nicolas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc, a 16th-century French botanist. The genus was more widely circumscribed until molecular phylogenetic studies showed that it was paraphyletic. The majority of species have since been transferred to Leuenbergeria and Rhodocactus . Although Pereskia does not resemble other cacti in its overall morphology, close examination shows spines developing from areoles, and the distinctive floral cup of the cactus family.

Contents

Description

The four species of Pereskia as the genus is now circumscribed share many features in common with Leuenbergeria and Rhodocactus, which were formerly included in a broadly defined Pereskia. They are shrubs, trees or climbing vines, with maximum heights varying between 3 and 10 m. Unlike the great majority of species of cacti, they have persistent leaves. Like all cacti, they have spines borne on areoles. Their succulent leaves are longer than wide, reaching 11 cm by 5 cm in the case of P. aculeata. Their flowers are borne in small clusters or are solitary, except for P. aculeata which can have inflorescences of 70 or more individual flowers. P. aculeata has edible fruits, 1.5–2.5 cm in diameter; the other species have smaller fruits, only up to 6 mm in diameter in the case of P. horrida. Unlike Leuenbergeria, the stems of Pereskia delay forming bark and have stomata. Unlike Rhodocactus, there are no leaves on the areoles. [1] [2] [3]

Habit of Pereskia aculeata Flickr - Joao de Deus Medeiros - Pereskia aculeata.jpg
Habit of Pereskia aculeata
Areoles and spines of Pereskia aculeata Pereskia aculeata 2019-12-13 6441.jpg
Areoles and spines of Pereskia aculeata

Taxonomy

It is likely that Charles Plumier collected the first Pereskia specimens from the West Indies in the late 17th century. Plumier described two species of Pereskia in 1703. Linnaeus did not accept Plumier's genus, placing the two species in Cactus, as C. pereskia and C. portacifolius. [1] Philip Miller published Pereskia in 1754, and as pre-Linnaean names are not accepted under the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants, Miller rather than Plumier is credited as the author. [4]

Phylogeny and evolution

A 2005 study suggested that the genus Pereskia as then circumscribed (Pereskia sensu lato ) was basal within the Cactaceae, and confirmed earlier suggestions that it was paraphyletic, i.e. did not include all the descendants of a common ancestor. The Bayesian consensus cladogram from this study is shown below with more recent generic assignments added. [5]

Cactaceae
Clade A

Northern clade (→ Leuenbergeria )

caulocacti
Clade B

Andean clade (→ Pereskias.s.)

southern South American (SSA) clade (→ Rhodocactus ) 

core cacti
Pereskias.l.

Pereskias.l. divided into two main clades which differed in their geographical distribution. Clade A, the Northern clade, comprised species mainly found around the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. Clade B comprised species found mainly in South America south of the Amazon basin, either in the Andes (the Andean clade) or further south (the southern South American or SSA clade). Subsequent studies confirmed the division of Pereskias.l. into these three clades. [6] [3]

Species of Clade A always lack two key features of the stem present in most of the remaining "caulocacti": like most non-cacti, their stems begin to form bark early in the plant's life, and they also lack stomata – structures which control the admission of air into a plant and hence control photosynthesis. By contrast, species of Clade B typically delay forming bark and have stomata on their stems, thus giving the stem the potential to become a major organ for photosynthesis. [5] [3] The subclades of Clade B, the Andean and SSA clades, also show consistent differences. The SSA clade is distinctly tree-like with pink flowers and leaves as well as spines on its areoles, which can grow out to form short, densely crowded branchlets or brachyblasts, which produce leaves. The Andean clade consists of climbers or undershrubs with smaller flowers and does not form brachyblasts. [3]

In 2013, it was suggested that two distinct genera should be recognized, Clade A becoming Leuenbergeria and Clade B becoming a more tightly circumscribed Pereskia sensu stricto . [2] [7] In 2016, a further division of Clade B into two genera was proposed, with the Andean clade becoming a reduced Pereskias.s. and the southern South American clade becoming the restored genus Rhodocactus . [3] As of April 2021, Plants of the World Online accepts all three genera. [8] [9] [10]

Species

As of April 2021, Plants of the World Online places four species in Pereskias.s.: [9]

ImageScientific nameDistribution
Flor Ora Pro nobis foto1.jpg Pereskia aculeata Mill.Panama, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela, Brazil, Colombia, Argentina and Paraguay.
Pereskia diaz-romeroana 02.jpg Pereskia diaz-romeroana CárdenasBolivia
Pereskia humboldtii 1.jpg Pereskia horrida DCPeru
Pereskia weberiana 'Cervetano' (Cactaceae) leaves.jpg Pereskia weberiana K.Schum.Bolivia

Former species placed in Leuenbergeria are: [8]

Former species placed in Rhodocactus are: [10]

Synonyms

Pereskia colombiana = Leuenbergeria guamacho
Pereskia corrugata = Leuenbergeria bleo
Pereskia cubensis = Leuenbergeria zinniiflora
Pereskia godseffiana = Pereskia aculeata
Pereskia humboldtii = Pereskia horrida
Pereskia philippi = Maihuenia poeppigii
Pereskia subulata = Austrocylindropuntia subulata
Pereskia vargasii = Pereskia horrida
Pereskia zehntneri = Quiabentia zehntneri
Pereskia zinniaefolia = Leuenbergeria ziniiflora

Distribution

The four species of Pereskias.s. are almost entirely native to northern and eastern South America, excluding the Amazon basin. [9] Pereskia aculeata has the widest distribution, and is also found in Panama. It has been introduced into several other parts of the world, including Mexico and the United States, South Africa, China and Australia. [11]

Uses

The genus is not of great economic importance. Pereskia aculeata has edible fruit and is widely cultivated. The fruit contains numerous small seeds. It somewhat resembles a gooseberry in appearance and is of excellent flavor. This plant is a declared weed in South Africa. It can also be used as a rootstock for grafting of Schlumbergera to create miniature trees.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cactus</span> Family of mostly succulent plants, adapted to dry environments

A cactus is a member of the plant family Cactaceae, a family comprising about 127 genera with some 1,750 known species of the order Caryophyllales. The word cactus derives, through Latin, from the Ancient Greek word κάκτος (káktos), a name originally used by Theophrastus for a spiny plant whose identity is now not certain. Cacti occur in a wide range of shapes and sizes. They are native to the Americas, ranging from Patagonia in the south to parts of western Canada in the north, with the exception of Rhipsalis baccifera, which is also found in Africa and Sri Lanka. Cacti are adapted to live in very dry environments, including the Atacama Desert, one of the driest places on Earth. Because of this, cacti show many adaptations to conserve water. For example, almost all cacti are succulents, meaning they have thickened, fleshy parts adapted to store water. Unlike many other succulents, the stem is the only part of most cacti where this vital process takes place. Most species of cacti have lost true leaves, retaining only spines, which are highly modified leaves. As well as defending against herbivores, spines help prevent water loss by reducing air flow close to the cactus and providing some shade. In the absence of true leaves, cacti's enlarged stems carry out photosynthesis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Areole</span> Bumps on cacti out of which grow clusters of spines

In botany, areoles are small light- to dark-colored bumps on cacti out of which grow clusters of spines. Areoles are important diagnostic features of cacti, and identify them as a family distinct from other succulent plants. The spines are not easily detachable, but on certain cacti, members of the subfamily Opuntioideae, smaller, detachable bristles, glochids, also grow out of the areoles and afford additional protection.

<i>Epiphyllum</i> Genus of cacti

Epiphyllum is a genus of epiphytic plants in the cactus family (Cactaceae), native to Central America and South America. Common names for these species include climbing cacti, orchid cacti and leaf cacti, though the latter also refers to the genus Pereskia.

<i>Armatocereus</i> Species of plant

Armatocereus is a genus of mostly tree-like cacti from South America. These species have a conspicuous constriction at the end of the annual growth. The flowers are mostly white, with a more or less spiny ovary. The fruits are mostly spiny.

<i>Morangaya</i> Genus of cylindrical cacti

Morangaya is a monotypic genus of ribbed, usually small to medium-sized, cylindrical shaped cacti, that is native to north western Mexico. The only species is Morangaya pensilis. It is found in the mountains and rocky hills.

<i>Weingartia</i> Genus of cacti

Weingartia is a genus in the family Cactaceae, with species native to Bolivia and Argentina. Molecular phylogenetic evidence suggests that it may be distinct from Rebutia. It is treated as a synonym of that genus by Plants of the World Online as of September 2023, but recognized as an alternative generic name in the third edition of the CITES Cactaceae Checklist. It may also be treated as Rebutia subg. Weingartia.

<i>Pereskiopsis</i> Genus of cacti

Pereskiopsis is a genus of cactus in the subfamily Opuntioideae. Unlike typical cacti, it has persistent fleshy leaves. The genus name refers to its resemblance to the genus Pereskia. Most species are found in Mexico south through Guatemala to Honduras, with one species in Bolivia. The incorrect spelling Peireskiopsis has also been used.

<i>Rhodocactus</i> Genus of cactus

Rhodocactus is a genus of flowering plant in the cactus family Cactaceae, native to central South America. Unlike most species of cacti, Rhodocactus has persistent leaves and a fully tree-like habit. The genus was sunk into a broadly circumscribed Pereskia, but molecular phylogenetic studies from 2005 onwards showed that with this circumscription Pereskia was paraphyletic, and in 2016, Rhodocactus was restored for southern South American species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Opuntioideae</span> Subfamily of cacti

Opuntioideae is a subfamily of the cactus family, Cactaceae. It contains 15 genera divided into five tribes. The subfamily encompasses roughly 220–250 species, and is geographically distributed throughout the New World from Canada, to Argentina. Members of this subfamily have diverse habits, including small geophytes, hemispherical cushions, shrubs, trees, and columnar cacti consisting of indeterminate branches or determinate terete or spherical segments.

<i>Rhodocactus grandifolius</i> Species of cactus

Rhodocactus grandifolius is a species of cactus native to eastern and southern Brazil. Like all species in the genus Rhodocactus and unlike most cacti, it has persistent leaves. It was first described in 1819. It is grown as an ornamental plant and has naturalized outside its native range.

Leuenbergeria aureiflora, formerly Pereskia aureiflora, is a species of cactus that is endemic to eastern Brazil. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and hot deserts. It is threatened by habitat loss.

<i>Rhodocactus bahiensis</i> Species of cactus

Rhodocactus bahiensis is a species of tree-like cactus that is endemic to the Brazilian state of Bahia. First described as Pereskia bahiensis, it was transferred to Rhodocactus in 2016. Like all species in the genus Rhodocactus, and unlike most cacti, it has persistent leaves. In its native locality, it is used to form hedges.

<i>Rhodocactus stenanthus</i> Species of cactus

Rhodocactus stenanthus is a species of cactus that is endemic to Brazil. First described as Pereskia stenantha, it was transferred to Rhodocactus in 2016. Like all species in the genus Rhodocactus, and unlike most cacti, it has persistent leaves. In its native locality, it is sometimes used in hedges.

<i>Pereskia aculeata</i> Species of cactus

Pereskia aculeata is a scrambling shrub in the family Cactaceae. Common names include Barbados gooseberry, blade-apple cactus, leaf cactus, rose cactus, and lemonvine. It is native to tropical America. The leaves and fruits are edible, containing high quantities of protein, iron and other nutrients, and it is a popular vegetable in parts of the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais under the name of ora-pro-nóbis.

<i>Pelecyphora sneedii</i> Species of cactus

Pelecyphora sneedii is a rare species of cactus known by the common names Sneed's pincushion cactus and carpet foxtail cactus. It is endemic to the Chihuahuan Desert of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. It is a small, variable cactus with a lengthy taxonomic history, and is often subdivided into a number of subspecies or varieties. It is usually found on steep, rocky habitats, primarily of limestone geology, in desert scrub or coniferous forest. A species of conservation concern, P. sneedii faces threats from poaching, urban encroachment, and wildfires.

<i>Leuenbergeria bleo</i> Species of cactus

Leuenbergeria bleo, formerly Pereskia bleo, is a leafy cactus, native to the shady, moist forests of Central America, that grows to a woody, prickly shrub about 2 m tall with large, orange flowers resembling rose blossoms.

<i>Leuenbergeria</i> Genus of cacti

Leuenbergeria is a genus of flowering plant in the family Cactaceae, mostly native around the Caribbean. Unlike most cacti, it has persistent leaves and develops bark on its stems early in its growth. The genus was created in 2012 by Joël Lodé. Before the creation of Leuenbergeria as a genus, the species within it were included in a broadly circumscribed genus, Pereskia. Leuenbergeria is the only genus in the subfamily Leuenbergerioideae.

<i>Rhodocactus nemorosus</i> Species of cactus

Rhodocactus nemorosus is a species of flowering plant in the cactus family Cactaceae, native to southern Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and northeast Argentina. Like all species in the genus Rhodocactus and unlike most cacti, it has persistent leaves. It was first described by Nicolás Rojas Acosta in 1897 as Pereskia nemorosa, and transferred to Rhodocactus in 2016.

<i>Rhodocactus sacharosa</i> Species of cactus

Rhodocactus sacharosa, synonym Pereskia sacharosa, is a species of flowering plant in the cactus family Cactaceae, native from Bolivia and west-central Brazil to Paraguay and northern Argentina. Like all species in the genus Rhodocactus and unlike most cacti, it has persistent leaves. It was first described in 1879.

References

  1. 1 2 Anderson, Edward F. (2001), "Pereskia", The Cactus Family, Pentland, Oregon: Timber Press, pp. 566–572, ISBN   978-0-88192-498-5 ; Anderson's Pereskia includes Leuenbergeria and Rhodocactus.
  2. 1 2 Lodé, J. (2013), "Leuenbergeria, un nouveau genre de cactées", Cactus-Aventures International (in French), 97: 26–27, cited in Mayta & Molinari-Novoa (2015); English translation: Lodé, J. (2013), "Leuenbergeria, a new genus in Cactaceae", International Cactus-Adventures, 97: 25–27, retrieved 2021-04-28
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Asai, Issaku & Miyata, Kazunori (2016), "An Emendation of Rhodocactus, a Genus Segregated from Pereskia (Cactaceae)" (PDF), Journal of Japanese Botany, 91: 7–12, retrieved 2021-04-25
  4. "Pereskia Mill.", The International Plant Names Index , retrieved 2021-04-30
  5. 1 2 Edwards, Erika J.; Nyffeler, Reto & Donoghue, Michael J. (2005), "Basal cactus phylogeny: implications of Pereskia (Cactaceae) paraphyly for the transition to the cactus life form", American Journal of Botany, 92 (7): 1177–1188, doi:10.3732/ajb.92.7.1177, PMID   21646140
  6. Bárcenas, Rolando T.; Yesson, Chris & Hawkins, Julie A. (2011), "Molecular systematics of the Cactaceae", Cladistics, 27 (5): 470–489, doi: 10.1111/j.1096-0031.2011.00350.x , PMID   34875796, S2CID   83525136
  7. Mayta, Luis & Molinari-Novoa, E.A. (2015), "L'intégration du genre Leuenbergeria Lodé dans sa propre sous-famille, Leuenbergerioideae Mayta & Mol. Nov., subfam. nov.", Succulentopi@ (in French), 15: 6–7, retrieved 2015-01-20
  8. 1 2 "Leuenbergeria Lodé", Plants of the World Online , Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew , retrieved 2019-05-27
  9. 1 2 3 "Pereskia Mill.", Plants of the World Online, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, retrieved 2021-04-25
  10. 1 2 "Rhodocactus (A.Berger) F.M.Knuth", Plants of the World Online, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, retrieved 2021-04-25
  11. "Pereskia aculeata Mill.", Plants of the World Online, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, retrieved 2021-04-25

Bibliography