Pitahaya – Hylocereus Undatus (Dragon Fruit, Dragon Fruit) (Red Flesh)

Description

Hylocereus undatus is a terrestrial or epiphytic, creeping, climbing or hanging richly branched cactus with up to 6 m long, succulent, winged shoots that attach themselves to the substrate with aerial roots.
The flowers form on green, rounded flower shoots, which have fleshy, protruding scales and surround the ovule. The flowers are only open at night and are pollinated by bats.
The fruits (known as pitaya) are thornless, fleshy, round, or oval berries with ripe pinkish-red skin with triangular, up to 8 cm long scales. The pitaya’s grow up to 20 cm in size. The skin is 1 cm thick and encloses a fruit cavity, which is filled with glassy-white, juicy pulp containing many black seeds up to 3 mm in size.
Hylocereus undatus is native to southern Mexico and on the west coast of Central America. The species is grown in tropical America and in some places in Africa, Asia (especially Thailand) and Australia.