Pereskia sacharosa

Origin and historical identifications

The natural range includes Bolivia, west-central Brazil, Paraguay and northern Argentina. The species is associated with the seasonally dry tropical biome. POWO lists Pereskia moorei, P. saipinensis and P. sparsiflora among its synonyms. [2-WWW]

Leuenberger noted the heterogeneity of material distributed under field number FR 640. He linked the name Pereskia sparsiflora with P. sacharosa, but assigned some Paraguayan plants instead to P. nemorosa. A shared field number alone is therefore insufficient to combine all collection observations into one species record. [Leuenberger 2008]

Structure and distinction from similar species

Leaves are fleshy, usually obovate, 3–12 cm long and 2–7 cm wide. They may be flat or folded along the midrib, giving a boat-like appearance. Older areoles produce short-shoot leaves alongside spines. Leaf size and spine number differ between vigorous growth and a flowering branch. [Leuenberger 1986, Pereskia sacharosa description]

Pink flowers are 3–7 cm in diameter and develop singly or in small clusters. Hairs of the upper receptacle areoles may reach 10–15 mm. Fruits are pear-shaped to nearly spherical, about 4–5 cm long and wide, green to yellowish. Numerous black, glossy seeds are 3.2–4.2 mm long. For distinction from Pereskia nemorosa, it helps to compare broader leaves with flower structure, especially the presence in the latter species of hair-like elements between the perianth and stamens. [Leuenberger 1986, Pereskia sacharosa description]

Sites were described in low, open dry forests of the Chaco and along the eastern Andes, in Bolivia also up to about 2500 m. The main flowering period in monographic material was October–February, and fruit ripening January–May. [Leuenberger 1986, Pereskia sacharosa description]

Pruning and foliage renewal

In the Berlin-Dahlem greenhouse, the species was grown as a hedge. After pruning, lateral shoots developed from areoles, and short-shoot leaves renewed on older branch parts. The documentation shows branching capacity after stem shortening. For container cultivation, this supports managing the plant by pruning branches while retaining areoles. It does not establish an optimal treatment frequency or its effect on flowering abundance. [Leuenberger 2008, ryc. 41–44]

Application studies

Research on material of this species is presented in Pereskia sacharosa extract in a model of inflammatory response, in the “Biotechnology and applications” section. [Prado-Fernández et al. 2024]