This species has at times been confused in cultivation with the Brazilian species Pereskia grandiflora[].

Common Name: Wax Rose

General Information

Leuenbergeria bleo is a much-branched, deciduous shrub or small tree growing from 2 - 8 metres tall. The bole is up to 15cm in diameter, with or without spines, the branches have numerous spines[]. Although a member of the cactus family, this shrub is virtually not succulent and has fleshy leaves[].
The edible leaves are sometimes gathered from the wild and used locally. The plant is also probably used to purify water, cultivated as a hedge and is also grown as an ornamental in gardens, where it is valued for its flowers and decorative fruits.
Leuenbergeria bleo has a wide distribution, is found in a number of locations, occurs in inaccessible places, and is widely cultivated for use as a hedge. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2017)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Northern S. America - Colombia; C. America - Panama

Habitat

Thickets and hedgerows[]. Sandy margins of rivers in humid tropical evergreen forests; at elevations from sea level to 1,300 metres[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	4.00 m
Pollinators	Insets
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of low elevations in dry and humid climates[]. Most Leuenbergeria species occur in dry forests and thorn-scrub habitats in a tropical climate with a more or less pronounced dry season of about two to five months[]. This species is a notable exception, if the information available is correct. It is reported growing on sandy soil along streams
in lowland evergreen forests in Panama and Colombia[]
Prefers some shade, at least in the hotter weather[]. Requires a moist but well-drained soil[, ]. Prefers a pH in the range 6 - 7.5[].
Species in this genus can be evergreen, but are deciduous under conditions with seasonal drought. Iin cultivation they also lose their leaves if the mean temperature falls below around 15°c[].

Edible Uses

Leaves - cooked and eaten as a vegetable[]. A juice made from the leaves is drunk in the morning to revitalize the body.

Fruit - raw[, ]. A sour flavour[]. The yellow fruit is a turbinate, truncate berry 40 - 70mm long and 40 - 70mm in diameter with a wall around 10mm thick[].

Medicinal

In Malaysia, the leaves are used to treat cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes and diseases associated with rheumatism and inflammation. They are also used as a remedy for the relief of gastric pain, ulcers and for revitalizing the body[].
The leaves are either consumed raw or made into a concoction brewed from fresh leaves[].

Methanolic extracts of the plant have been found to induce apoptosis in breast carcinoma cells[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant is sometimes as a hedge. Cuttings around 100cm long are taken during the dry season and placed fairly close to each other to form a living fence of spiny canes. This soon develops into an impenetrable, stock-proof hedge[].

Other Uses

The crushed leaves are used to clarify water, the abundant mucilage in the plant apparently being the active agent of this process[].

We have no specific description of the wood for this species, but the general description for the wood from Pereskia species (sensu lato) is as follows:-The wood is yellow, without difference between softwood and heartwood. The texture is medium, soft grain, straight fibre, with no characteristic odour or taste[],

Propagation

Seed - fresh seed can be slow to germinate, it is best to sow seed that is between several months to 2 years old and this should germinate after a few days. Even when five years old, seed can have a 50% germination rate[].
Easily grown from cuttings of half-ripe wood, taken during the dry season[, ].
Easily grown from cuttings of half-ripe wood[].

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