Missouri Botanical 
Garden Bulletin 
Vol. VIII St. Louis, Mo., October, 1920 No. 8 
PERESKIA ACULEATA 
This genus of the cactus family is named in honor of Nico- 
las Claude Fabry de Peiresse and frequently is referred to as 
the Barbados gooseberry, lemon vine, or blade apple. Orig- 
inally the genus included upwards of forty species, but only 
thirteen are recognized at present, the remaining being classi- 
fied under allied genera. 
Pereskia aculeata, its variety Godseffiana, and P. Bleo 
may be recommended as greenhouse climbers, growing lux- 
uriantly and producing an abundance of flowers despite low 
temperature and drought. These climbers are indigenous to 
South America, in regions subject to dry seasons. The plants 
of this genus are rarely regarded as true cacti in view of their 
foliage characteristics which resemble the ordinary type of 
climbers. Upon handling, however, their cactus habit is soon 
discovered through the spines which are arranged along the 
various nodes at the base of the leaves. In the young growth 
they are short, rigid, bicornute and green. In the woody 
branches they are arranged in clusters upon a cushion of 
downy pubescence and are dark brown in color. In Pereskia 
Bleo the spines are more prominent, being fully two inches in 
length. This plant is a much stronger grower than P. aculeata 
and produces larger leaves and branches. The flowers are 
mauve-pink and at a distance may be mistaken for those of 
the common briar. The spines of this and other cacti have 
been tried as a substitute for steel needles for phonograph 
machines but have proven too brittle. 
Pereskia aculeata is a common species in cactus collections, 
being used as stock on which to graft various other cacti. The 
favorite Easter cactus, Epiphyllum truncatum, is grafted 
upon the strong-rooting Pereskia stock to influence the growth 
and a greater production of flowers. Well-ripened wood in 
lengths varying from six to ten inches is selected for the 
grafting stock. These hardwood cuttings will root readily in 
sand in the ordinary propagating bench, or if the operation 
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