Pitaya
Pitaya (/pɪˈtaɪ.ə/), pitahaya (/ˌpɪtəˈhaɪ.ə/) or commonly known as dragon fruit (and strawberry pear) is the fruit of several cactus species indigenous to the region of southern Mexico and along the Pacific coasts of Guatemala, Costa Rica, and El Salvador.[1][2] Pitaya is cultivated in East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, the United States, the Caribbean, Australia, Brazil, Madeira (Portugal),[3] and throughout tropical and subtropical regions of the world.
Pitaya usually refers to fruit of the genus Stenocereus, while pitahaya or dragon fruit refers to fruit of the genus Selenicereus (formerly Hylocereus), both in the family Cactaceae.[1][2][4] The common name in English, dragon fruit, derives from the leather-like skin and scaly spikes on the fruit exterior, resembling dragon skin. Depending on the variety, pitaya fruits may have sweet- or sour-tasting flesh that can be red, white, or yellow in color.
- ^ a b "Hylocereus undatus (dragon fruit)". Invasive Species Compendium. CABI (Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International). 3 January 2018. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
- ^ a b Morton JF (1987). "Strawberry pear, Hylocereus undatus Britt. and Rose; Cereus undatus Haw.; In: Fruits of Warm Climates". Center for New Crops and Plant Products, Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Purdue University. pp. 347–348. Retrieved 23 August 2025.
- ^ "Direcção de Agricultura quer produção de pitaia no Porto Santo | Funchal Notícias | Notícias da Madeira - Informação de todos para todos! | Notícias da Madeira e do Porto Santo". Funchal Notícias (in Brazilian Portuguese). 16 January 2024. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
- ^ Janick J, Paull RE, eds. (2008). "C". The Encyclopedia of Fruit and Nuts. Cambridge, United Kingdom: CABI (Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International). pp. 215–216, 222–226. ISBN 978-0-85199-638-7.