Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Shrubs or vines, clambering, 3–10 m.

Stems: Stems to 3 cm diam., spiny, areoles to 15 mm diam., largest on basal portion of stem.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple, leaflike or modified into spines. Alternate. Blades lanceolate to ovate or oblong, 4.5–11 × 1.5–5 cm, 0.5–1 mm thick. Spines of 2 kinds; primary spines (= first formed) 2 per areole, recurved, clawlike, 4–8 mm; secondary spines to 25 per older areole, straight, 10–35 mm. Margins entire. Petiolate. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers up to 70 in terminal or lateral inflorescences. Flowers bisexual (perfect), fragrant, 3 × 2.5–5 cm. Pedicels 5–15 mm; scales and areoles on prominent to inconspicuous tubercles. Tepals perigynous; Perianth whitish to light pink. Stamens numerous. Ovary inferior.

Fruit: Fruits yellow to orange; spheric; not angled; 40 × 15–25 mm; never proliferating. Seeds lenticular; 4.5–5 mm diam.; glossy.

Ploidy: 2n = 22

Habitat:

Elevation Range: 0–50 m.