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Queen of the Night

Cereus repandus (L.) Mill.

Cactaceae

Location in our garden

Principal

Synonym

Acanthocereus horribarbis (Salm-Dyck) Borg
Cactus peruvianus L.
Cactus repandus L.

Habitus

Succulent. A succulent, evergreen, shrub or tree-like cactus with an open crown, grow up to 10 m tall

Part Used

  • Stem

Growing Requirements

  • Full Sunshine
  • Drought Resistant

Habitat

  • Shrublands
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Overview

Spreading from the southern Caribbean, Venezuela to Colombia. This plant is often grown as an ornamental plant in the garden. The flowers bloom at night to avoid the hot sun so Cereus is often nicknamed "The Queen of the Night". The fruit can be eaten directly. The white flesh has a soft and sweet taste. This plant is also used in the manufacture of soap and shampoo to clean hair and glasses. In addition, the flesh of this plant is also used in traditional medicine.

Vernacular Names

No information found. Need further search.

Agroecology

A plant of drier areas in the tropics. It will stand very high temperatures, but is not too frost hardy, probably able to survive a few degrees of frost. Prefers a position in full sun and a well-drained soil. Prefers a pH lower than 6.

Morphology

  • Stems - had a wooden frame to support his tall figure. The cross section of the rod is angled, allowing its shape to bubble when it is filled with water.
  • Leaves - reduced to sharp spines, but the process of photosynthesis can still take place on the succulent stems.
  • Flowers - large, white and fragrant, attracting bats or moths to pollinate them.
  • Fruits - red, white flesh with a sweet taste and shape similar to dragon fruit, oval 3 - 4 cm long.

Cultivation

Propagated by seeds and stem cuttings.

Chemical Constituents

Hordenine, tyramine, polysaccharide, arabinogalactan.

Traditional Medicinal Uses

  • Treats intestinal problems.
  • Has anti-ulcer properties and can be used for phytotherapy.

Part Used

Reference Sources

  1. Royal Botanic Gardens. 2021. Cereus repandus (L.) Mill.. https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:130627-1. 04-04-22.
  2. Useful Tropical Plants. 2021. Cereus repandus. http://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Cereus+repandus. 04-04-22.
  3. Planter and Forester. 2019. Tanaman Hias Kaktus Cereus repandus (L.) Mill. https://www.planterandforester.com/2019/11/cereus-repandus-l-mill.html. 04-04-22.
  4. Weberseeds. 2022. Cereus peruvianus, Peruvian Apple. https://weberseeds.nl/eshop/en/Cacti/Cereus-peruvianus-Peruvian-Apple::174.html. 04-04-22.
  5. Julia F. Morton. 1967. Cadushi (Cereus repandus Mill.), a Useful Cactus of Curacao. Economic Botany Vol. 21, No. 2 (Apr. - Jun., 1967), pp. 185-191 (7 pages). Published By: Springer. https://dokumen.tips/documents/cadushi-cereus-repandus-mill-a-useful-cactus-of-curacao.html. 24-1-2022. 
  6. Mizrahi Yozef. 2014. Cereus peruvianus (Koubo) new cactus fruit for the world. SciELO - Scientific Electronic Library Online. https://www.scielo.br/j/rbf/a/qNFSNbCFVbGj79Tg7RRDcYP/?lang=en#. 24-1-2022.