What fruit is dragon fruit?

Pitaya is a perennial climbing succulent plant of the cactus family, also known as red dragon fruit, green dragon fruit, immortal honey fruit, jade dragon fruit and so on. It originated in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama, Ecuador, Cuba, Colombia and other places in Central America, and was later introduced into Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam and Thailand and Taiwan Province of China. Chinese mainland is also cultivated in Hainan, Guangxi, Guangdong, Fujian, Yunnan, Guizhou and other provinces.

The dragon fruit plant has no main root, a large number of lateral roots are distributed in the shallow soil layer, and there are a lot of aerial roots, which can climb and grow. Rhizome dark green, stout, up to 7 m long, 10 cm thick, 3-angled. The edge is flat, the edge is wavy, and the climbing root grows at the stem node, which can grow on other plants, with 3 ribs and small thorns in the depression of each stem node. Due to its long-term growth in the tropical desert, its leaves have been degraded, and the function of photosynthesis is borne by the stem. Inside the stem are a large number of parenchyma cells full of sticky liquid, which help to absorb as much water as possible during the rainy season.

The buds of dragon fruit have a large number of compound buds and mixed bud primordia, which can be produced into leaf buds and flower buds. In the early stage of flower bud development, it can be transformed into leaf bud under suitable temperature. On the other hand, the top tissue of the vigorous growth of branches can also produce flower buds under appropriate conditions. The flower is white, the huge ovary is inferior, the flower is about 30 cm long, so it is also known as the overlord flower. Calyx tubular, ca. 3 cm wide, lobes greenish (sometimes lavender), with scales 3-8 cm long. Petals broad, pure white, erect, oblanceolate, entire. Stamens many and slender, up to 700mm 960, as long as the style or shorter. Anthers milky yellow, filaments white. Style thick, 0.7-0.8 cm, creamy yellow. There are as many as 24 pistil stigma lobes.

The fruit of dragon fruit is oblong or ovoid, the epidermis is red, fleshy, with ovate and apical acute scales, the fruit is 10-12 cm long, the pericarp is thick and waxy. The flesh is white or red, with nearly ten thousand fragrant sesame seeds, so it is called sesame fruit. Named because it looks like an angry red fireball, the flesh inside is like sweet cream, but covered with small black seeds, mild texture and fragrant taste.

The dragon fruit is a tropical and subtropical fruit, which likes light and shade, heat and drought, fertilizer and barren, and grows rapidly in a warm, humid and well-lit environment. Open field cultivation in spring and summer should be watered more to keep its roots in a state of exuberant growth. drainage should be carried out in time in rainy weather to avoid stem and flesh rot caused by bacteria. The stem can also grow on the rock, and the plant is extremely resistant to wind, as long as the bracket is strong enough to resist typhoon. It can withstand 0 ℃ low temperature and 40 ℃ high temperature, and the optimum temperature for growth is 25-35 ℃. It can adapt to many kinds of soil, but it is better to use neutral soil and weak acid soil which contain more humus and preserve water and fertilizer.

Dragon fruit is a tropical fruit, it is best to buy and eat now, not only taste sweet, but also has a high nutritional value, set in fruits, buds, vegetables, medicine advantages in one. Nutrients include protein, dietary fiber, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, vitamin C, iron, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, potassium and so on. Rich in pulp fiber, rich in carotene, vitamin B1, B2, B3, B12, C, etc., the core is rich in calcium, phosphorus, iron and other minerals and various enzymes, albumin, fiber and high concentration of natural pigment anthocyanins. Flowers, stems and buds are like their close relatives, aloe.