SOUR PITAYA (Machaerocereus gummosus)

The sour pitaya is a sprawling, much-branched cactus, with branches up to 3 metres long (see also the image below). The stems are dark grey-green. Where their tips touch the ground they can take root, so that eventually this cactus can form thick, impenetrable thickets. This cactus is a near-endemic of the Baja California peninsula, although it also grows in a small region of mainland Mexico. It is a dominant plant in many desert regions of Baja California. The name "sour pitaya" refers to the fruits, which are edible but not as sweet as those of the organ pipe cactus. The plant produces large white flowers, usually in July - September.

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