Autor: Britton & Rose
• ETYMOLOGY
“Similar to Pereskia”, because of the apparent similarity of this genus with Pereskia.
• DESCRIPTION
A genus of shrubby to treelike plants, irregularly branched with branches more or less ascending, sometimes from the base, sometimes with a defined trunk and bark on adult plants. Stems cylindrical, not segmented, with leaves usually persistent, variable, elliptical, rounded, lanceolate, spatulate, fleshy, with a short petiole. Areoles rounded, woolly and hairy, with glochids. Spines mostly present, aciculate, sheath absent.
Flowers diurnal, also nocturnal, rotate, typical of Opuntiads, self-sterile (although empty fruits can form), appearing on the terminal segments of the year, yellow, also pink, orange or red; P. porteri blooms late in the afternoon and the yellow flowers, delicately fragrant, are closed next morning. It is an important element, because it defines the type of pollinator, probably a Sphingideae in that case. Fruits small, obovoid to pyriform (pear-shaped), juicy, orange red, with areoles provided with wool, glochids and leaves petiolate, fleshy, quickly falling. Seeds discoid, hairy, with a whitish aspect because of the sclerotic aril recovering them.
• HABITAT
The genus Pereskiopsis grows in Guatemala and up to northern Mexico, in the Sonoran desert, in coastal areas, along arroyos, on dry plains or low hills among a vegetation of spiny bushes or in deciduous or semi deciduous forests, from 10m up to 2100 m in altitude. It is difficult to discover in habitat, because it merges into other bushes and shrubs.
• DISTRIBUTION
Guatemala (El Progreso, Santa Rosa, Zacapa), Mexico (Baja California, Campeche, Chiapas, Durango, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Jalisco, Mexico, Michoacan, Morelos, Nayarit, Oaxaca, Puebla, Queretaro, Sinaloa, Sonora, Veracruz, Yucatan).
Currently 6 species:
– Pereskiopsis aquosa* (F.A.C. Weber) Britton & Rose 1907
– Pereskiopsis blakeana J.G. Ortega 1929
– Pereskiopsis diguettii* (F.A.C. Weber) Britton & Rose 1907
– Pereskiopsis kellermannii Rose 1907
– Pereskiopsis porteri* (T.Brandegee ex F.A.C. Weber) Britton & Rose 1907
– Pereskiopsis rotundifolia (D.C.) Britton & Rose 1907
References: "TAXONOMY of the CACTACEAE" - ISBN 978-84-617-3692-8 (Vol. 2)