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Useful Tropical Plants

Pereskia bleo

(Kunth) DC.

Cactaceae


This species has at times been confused in cultivation with the Brazilian species Pereskia grandiflora[
317
Title
Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Terse details of a huge range of useful plants.
].

+ Synonyms

Cactus bleo Kunth

Pereskia corrugata Cutak

Pereskia panamensis F.A.C.Weber

Rhodocactus bleo (Kunth) F.M.Knuth

Rhodocactus corrugatus (Cutak) Backeb.

Common Name: Wax Rose

Pereskia bleo
Fruiting plant, climbing through the surrounding vegetation
Photograph by: Andres Hernandez S.
Creative Commons License
Pereskia bleo Pereskia bleo Pereskia bleo Pereskia bleo Pereskia bleo Pereskia bleo Pereskia bleo

General Information

Wax rose 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[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. Although a member of the cactus family, this shrub is virtually not succulent and has fleshy leaves[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
The edible leaves are sometimes gathered from the wild and used locally. The plant is also probably used as a hedge and is grown as an ornamental in gardens, where it is valued for its flowers and decorative fruits.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

Range

Northern S. America - Colombia, north to Panama in Central America.

Habitat

Thickets and hedgerows[
469
Title
Contributions from the United States National Herbarium Vol. 27
Publication
 
Author
Standley P.C.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Smithsonian Institute; Washington.
Year
1928
ISBN
 
Description
Contains a Flora of the Panama Canal zone
].

Properties

Edibility Rating *  *
Other Uses Rating *
HabitDeciduous Shrub
Height4.00 m
Cultivation StatusOrnamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of low elevations in dry and humid climates[
333
Title
Tree Species of Panama
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://ctfs.arnarb.harvard.edu/webatlas/mainframe.php?order=s
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Factsheets on all the tree and shrub species of Panama, giving identification guide, brief guide to the species and some uses. A vast, but rather incomplete work as of 15/07/09.
].
Prefers some shade, at least in the hotter weather[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. Requires a moist but well-drained soil[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
,
423
Title
Desert Tropicals
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.desert-tropicals.com/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
The main focus of the site is succulent plants, but it also contains information on a wide range of other species. Usually at least one good photograph, plus basic information about the plant and its cultivation.
]. Prefers a pH in the range 6 - 7.5[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].

Edible Uses

Leaves - cooked and eaten as a vegetable[
46
Title
Dictionary of Economic Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Uphof. J. C. Th.
Publisher
Weinheim
Year
1959
ISBN
-
Description
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
].

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant is sometimes said to be used as a hedge plant, but these reports might refer instead to the similar P. Grandifolia[
317
Title
Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Terse details of a huge range of useful plants.
].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -
Cuttings
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-03-29. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Pereskia+bleo>

Comments

Ed hadeed 27th August 2015 1:32
i have many unique pereskia but not sure which of them (propably bleo) ? that is groing very well inside an apartment in San Francisco even in water for past 10 years and .I like to share its characteristics and its unique . it need little care it grow in water and in dark part of the apartment ,even a leaf of it will grow !

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