Matraca

Description

Peniocereus johnstonii is a species of plant in the genus Peniocereus of the cactus family (Cactaceae). The specific epithet johnstonii honors US botanist Ivan Murray Johnston. Common Spanish names are "Matraca", "Pitayita" and "Saramatraca". Peniocereus johnstonii grows as a shrub with spreading or climbing, hardly branched shoots and reaches heights of growth of up to 3 meters. The large, fleshy roots are bulbous. The slender, delicate shoots have a diameter of 1 to 2 centimeters. There are three to five slightly wavy ribs. The thorns are brown to black. One to three sub-spines, 4 to 8 millimeters long, and eight to eleven radial spines are formed. The fragrant, white, funnel-shaped flowers open at night and are up to 15 centimeters long. The pericarpel is bumpy and woolly. The egg-shaped, red fruits are up to 6 centimeters long. They are edible.