Richard
07-28-2011, 02:43 AM
From Stephen Facciola's famous book "Cornucopia II: A Source Book of Edible Plants" (1998 Kampong Publications), p.64
Hylocereus ocamponis - Pitahaya roja. The skin as well as the sweet pulp of the fruit are a wine-red color. Usually eaten out of hand. Also grown as an ornamental hedge plant. Central America to Columbia.
From Julia Morton's equally famous publication "Fruits of Warm Climates" (1987 Florida Flair Books), p.348
H. ocamponis [Britt. & Rose] (syn. Cereus ocamponis Salm-Dyck) is a similar cactus [to H. undatus] cultivated in Guatemala, Colombia, Bolivia and Puerto Rico. It has more deeply undulate wings bordered with brown, and longer spines. The fruit is wine-red outside and inside and the pulp is sweet.
Facciola also references these two books, of which I have yet to obtain a copy:
Enrique Pérez Arbeláez "Plantas útiles de Colombia", 4th edition (1987 Sucesores de Rivadeneyra)
A.C. Zeven and J.M.J De Wet "Dictionary of Cultivated Plants and Their Regions of Diversity" (1982 Centre for Agricultural Publishing and Documentation)
Two suppliers are referenced by Facciola:
(G18, page 598): K & L Cactus Nursery. 9500 Brook Ranch Road East, Ione, CA 95640.
(P38, page 625): Fruit Spirit Botanical Gardens. Lot 69, Dorroughby, NSW 2480, Australia.
I obtained two rootings from K & L Cactus in 2007. The plant I obtained meets the description given by J. Morton and was also given a positive id by Michael Buckner, a local authority on Cacti of Central America. So I have a strong belief I have the correct plant, but the jury is still out until I can get it to fruit and/or I can get verification from a few other cacti experts.
It certainly has more robust spines than H. undatus, H. guatemalensis, etc. and a blueish hue on older pods -- which turns out to be a dander-like oxidation. The pods have the appearance of more upright cactus forms, yet they vine, twist and turn like other Hylocereus species. The pods however can be quite long - 6 feet is not unusual. The cross-section diameter is typically 3 inches.
I have distributed cuttings to a few collectors including Edgar Valdivia, and more recently Seng Hua of Mira Mesa CA.
My collection is putting out buds again and one has bloomed tonight. This is the second year of budding and thus there is a good chance I will get fruit for the 1st time. Here is a short photo summary of the plant over the last couple years:
http://www.plantsthatproduce.com/image_gallery/H_ocamponis_stems_400x300.jpg
http://www.plantsthatproduce.com/image_gallery/H_ocamponis_bud_400x300.jpg
(no flash)
http://www.plantsthatproduce.com/image_gallery/H_ocamponis_blossom_noflash_2011_300x400.jpg
(flash)
http://www.plantsthatproduce.com/image_gallery/H_ocamponis_blossom_flash_2011_300x400.jpg
(view of sepals)
http://www.plantsthatproduce.com/image_gallery/H_ocamponis_blossomside_2011_300x400.jpg
Hylocereus ocamponis - Pitahaya roja. The skin as well as the sweet pulp of the fruit are a wine-red color. Usually eaten out of hand. Also grown as an ornamental hedge plant. Central America to Columbia.
From Julia Morton's equally famous publication "Fruits of Warm Climates" (1987 Florida Flair Books), p.348
H. ocamponis [Britt. & Rose] (syn. Cereus ocamponis Salm-Dyck) is a similar cactus [to H. undatus] cultivated in Guatemala, Colombia, Bolivia and Puerto Rico. It has more deeply undulate wings bordered with brown, and longer spines. The fruit is wine-red outside and inside and the pulp is sweet.
Facciola also references these two books, of which I have yet to obtain a copy:
Enrique Pérez Arbeláez "Plantas útiles de Colombia", 4th edition (1987 Sucesores de Rivadeneyra)
A.C. Zeven and J.M.J De Wet "Dictionary of Cultivated Plants and Their Regions of Diversity" (1982 Centre for Agricultural Publishing and Documentation)
Two suppliers are referenced by Facciola:
(G18, page 598): K & L Cactus Nursery. 9500 Brook Ranch Road East, Ione, CA 95640.
(P38, page 625): Fruit Spirit Botanical Gardens. Lot 69, Dorroughby, NSW 2480, Australia.
I obtained two rootings from K & L Cactus in 2007. The plant I obtained meets the description given by J. Morton and was also given a positive id by Michael Buckner, a local authority on Cacti of Central America. So I have a strong belief I have the correct plant, but the jury is still out until I can get it to fruit and/or I can get verification from a few other cacti experts.
It certainly has more robust spines than H. undatus, H. guatemalensis, etc. and a blueish hue on older pods -- which turns out to be a dander-like oxidation. The pods have the appearance of more upright cactus forms, yet they vine, twist and turn like other Hylocereus species. The pods however can be quite long - 6 feet is not unusual. The cross-section diameter is typically 3 inches.
I have distributed cuttings to a few collectors including Edgar Valdivia, and more recently Seng Hua of Mira Mesa CA.
My collection is putting out buds again and one has bloomed tonight. This is the second year of budding and thus there is a good chance I will get fruit for the 1st time. Here is a short photo summary of the plant over the last couple years:
http://www.plantsthatproduce.com/image_gallery/H_ocamponis_stems_400x300.jpg
http://www.plantsthatproduce.com/image_gallery/H_ocamponis_bud_400x300.jpg
(no flash)
http://www.plantsthatproduce.com/image_gallery/H_ocamponis_blossom_noflash_2011_300x400.jpg
(flash)
http://www.plantsthatproduce.com/image_gallery/H_ocamponis_blossom_flash_2011_300x400.jpg
(view of sepals)
http://www.plantsthatproduce.com/image_gallery/H_ocamponis_blossomside_2011_300x400.jpg