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Dragon fruit (Selenicereus undatus)

Dlium Dragon fruit (Selenicereus undatus)

Dragon fruit (Selenicereus undatus) is a plant species in the Cactaceae family; it is a climbing, trailing, or scrambling plant that is heavily branched, consisting of 4–7 stems reaching lengths of 5–10 meters or more. The internodes measure 30–120 cm or more in length and 10–12 cm in thickness. It generally has three ribs; the edges are wavy and harden to a horn-like consistency with age.

S. undatus features areoles with a diameter of 2 mm, spaced 1–4 cm apart. Spines on mature branches are 1–4 mm long, ranging in shape from needle-like to nearly conical; they are grayish-brown to black and grow in a spreading pattern. The epidermis is dark green.

The flowers are fragrant and night-blooming, measuring 25–30 cm in length and 15–17 cm in width. The pericarpel is 2.5–5 cm long and 2.5 cm thick. The bracteoles are ovate with pointed tips and measure 2.5–4 cm in length. The receptacle is 3 cm thick, with linear-lanceolate bracteoles measuring 3–8 cm in length. The outer tepals are linear-lanceolate to linear, tapering, 10–15 cm long and 10–15 mm wide, with short, sharp tips.

The flowers are greenish-yellow or whitish, rarely with a bright red tinge. There are approximately 65 outer tepals (sepals), and the total flower width reaches up to 35 cm. The inner tepals are lanceolate to oblanceolate, 10–15 cm long and 40 mm wide, with short, sharp tips; they are entire (unlobed) and white.

The stamens are 5–10 cm long, curve downwards, and are attached in a continuous zone extending from the flower throat to 35 mm above the pericarpel; they are cream-colored. There are up to 17 style branches, 5–24.5 cm long, robust, 6–8 mm thick, and cream-colored, with up to 26 stigma lobes. The lobes are entire or sometimes split at the apex, cream-colored, and 25 mm long. The nectar chamber is 30 mm long.

The fruit is oblong to oval, 6–12 cm long and 4–9 cm thick, red with large bracteoles; the flesh is white or bright red, containing edible black seeds.

This plant thrives in porous, nutrient-rich, sandy soil with ample sunlight and temperatures between 38°C and 40°C. With proper care, it begins to bear fruit at 11 to 17 months of age. The plant adapts well to various regions ranging from sea level to an elevation of 1,200 meters, growing over three meters in length within a single year.

The fruit must be sliced open to reveal the flesh before consumption. Its texture is often compared to that of a kiwi due to its crunchy black seeds; the flesh is mildly sweet and low in calories, while the seeds have a spicy flavor and are rich in lipids. The fruit is also processed into soups, salads, chips, jellies, juices, and pearl-style puddings.

The stems, flesh, and skin contain highly beneficial vitamins and compounds. The red-fleshed variety is reputed to help treat cancer, maintain skin health, prevent osteoporosis, lower cholesterol levels, alleviate coughs and asthma, and manage high blood pressure.

TAXON

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Cactaceae
Subfamily: Cactoideae
Tribe: Hylocereeae
Genus: Selenicereus Britton & Rose in Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 12: 429 (1909)
Species: Selenicereus undatus (Haw.) D.R.Hunt in Cactaceae Syst. Init. 36: 35 (2017)

HOMOTYPIC SYNONYMS

Cereus undatus Haw. in Philos. Mag. Ann. Chem., n.s., 7: 110 (1830)
Harrisia undata (Haw.) Britton in Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 35: 564 (1908 publ. 1909)
Hylocereus undatus (Haw.) Britton & Rose in N.L.Britton, Fl. Bermuda: 256 (1918)

HETEROTYPIC SYNONYMS

Cereus tricostatus Rol.-Goss. in Bull. Soc. Bot. France 54: 664 (1908)
Cereus undulatus D.Dietr. in Syn. Plant. 3: 104 (1842)
Hylocereus tricostatus (Rol.-Goss.) Britton & Rose in Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 12: 429 (1909)
Hylocereus undatus subsp. luteocarpus Cálix de Dios in Haseltonia 11: 12 (2005)
Selenicereus undatus subsp. luteocarpus (Cálix de Dios) M.H.J.van der Meer in Cact. Phantast. 8(1): 1 (2019)

PUBLICATIONS

Govaerts, R., Nic Lughadha, E., Black, N., Turner, R. & Paton, A. (2021). The World Checklist of Vascular Plants, a continuously updated resource for exploring global plant diversity. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-021-00997-6. Scientific Data 8: 215.

Muer, T., Sauerbier, H. & Cabrara Calixto, F. (2020). Die Farn- und Blütenpflanzen Madeiras: 1-792. Verlag und Versandbuchhandlung Andreas Kleinsteuber.

Nurtjahya, E. & al. (2026). Flowering Plants of Bangka Island: Native and Introduced. Acta Botanica Hungarica 68: 127-156.

Plunkett, G.M., Ranker, T.A., Sam, C. & Balick, M.J. (2022). Towards a checklist of the vascular flora of Vanuatu. Candollea 77: 105-118.

Serapio, J. & al. (2023). Contribution to the alien flora of the Balearic Islands. Butlletí de la Institució Catalana d’Història Natural. Secció de botanica 87: 11-28.

VERNACULAR NAME

Arabic: فاكهة التنين
Chinese (simplified): 火龙果 - 量天尺
Chinese (traditional): 三角柱 - 火龍果 - 霸王花
Dutch: Slingercactus
English: Dragon fruit, Dragonfruit, White-fleshed pitahaya, Night-blooming cereus, Pitahaya, Pitaya, Night blooming cereus, Queen of the night, Lady of the night, Red Pitaya, Creeping queen-of-the-night
Finnish: Tarhametsäkaktus
French: Fruit du dragon, Pitaya blanc
Hawaiian: Panini o kapunahou
Hebrew: פיטאיה
Hong Kong: 火龍果 - 霸王花
Indonesian: Buah Naga
Italian: Cactus ondulato
Japanese: ドラゴンフルーツ
Java: Buah Nogo
Macao: 火龍果
Manipuri: Leikang Thambal
Marathi: Brahma Kamal
Polish: Pitaja czerwona
Portuguese: Pitaya-vermelha-polpa-branca, Rainha-da-noite
Russian: Гилоцереус волнистый
Slovak: Hadovec vlnitý
Southern Africa: Dragon fruit, Night-blooming Cereus
Spanish: Pitahaya, Pitahaya orejona, Pitajaya, Pitaya, Tasajo
Taiwan: 火龍果
Thai: แก้วมังกร
Turkish: Ejder meyvesi

Aryo Bandoro
Dlium TheDlium
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