Pereskia

Pereskia, as traditionally circumscribed, is a genus of cacti that do not look much like other types of cacti, having substantial leaves and thin stems. plants are leafy and spiny, treelike, shrubby, and often scrambling. Leaves are generally alternate, broad, flattened, deciduous, usually with petioles, 2 to 20 cm long. The young primary areoles on twigs normally have up to eight spines, while areoles on trunks usually have more (15 to 40, up to 120) straight, usually black spines of unequal length. Flowers are solitary, or sometimes in inflorescences of 2–15 flowers; the flowers are 2 to 8 cm in diameter, usually pink, rose, or purple, but sometimes orange, yellow, white, or cream. Fruits are solitary or in clusters. They are variable in shape, but generally oblong and/or pear-shaped. When mature, fruits usually become green or yellow-green but also orange, reddish, or brownish. Seeds are 2 to 7 mm large, obovate to kidney shaped, and glossy black. this genus includes about 17 species. Pereskia originates from the region between Brazil and Mexico. Most of the species are found in dry forests or thorny scrub, in tropical climates with a dry season of two to five months.