Pereskia?

[echino]

I took these photos two weeks ago in Peru on the Inca trail. This looks like a Pereskia to me, but I could not find the species with flowers like that. Anyone can identify the species?

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[phil_SK]

I thought Pereskiopsis at first but those flowers show it isn't a cactus!

[echino]

I am pretty sure it is a cactus. There are proper areoles. Look here:

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[Robb]

I don't think it's a cactus either. The flowers don't look very cactusy to me...

[phil_SK]

Might there have been two plants growing close together that you've taken to be one? That flower is definitely, definitely not a cactus.

[echino]

Yes, all photos are from the same species. Flowers looked strange to me too, so I took the time to examine the plants and the areoles give away it's a cactus. Anyway, this flower, for example, is not particularly cactusy, is it?


It is totally possible those spine clusters are not really areoles after all, and hence it's not a cactus. I see that the majority believe that way, so that is likely the case

[echino]

OK, false alarm, guys, you are right, it's not a cactus. Much googling revealed it is a Barnadesia sp.

Don't go away, I'll post more (real) cacti pictures from Peru tomorrow.

[DaveW]

Pereskia flowers are a bit more like single Rose flowers:-

http://www.brazilplants.com/cactaceae/p ... flora.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Apart from the flower I think the stem would have confused most of us.

[martenfisher]

I grow pereskia and I have some big ones and that plant was messing with my mind.