Pitaya

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For the city in Thailand, see Pattaya. For Thai weightlifter, see Pitaya Tibnoke.

Longitudinal section of a ripe pitahaya

Pitaya at a market stall in Taiwan

A pitaya (/pɪˈtaɪ.ə/) or pitahaya (/ˌpɪtəˈhaɪ.ə/) is the fruit of several

different cactus species indigenous to the Americas.  Pitaya usually refers to
[1][2]

fruit of the genus Stenocereus, while pitahaya or dragon fruit refers to fruit of

the genus Selenicereus (formerly Hylocereus), both in the family Cactaceae.
Dragon fruit is cultivated in Southeast Asia, India, United States,
the Caribbean, Australia, Mesoamerica and
throughout tropical and subtropical world regions.

Contents

 1Vernacular names
 2Geography
 3Varieties
o 3.1Stenocereus
o 3.2Dragon fruit Selenicereus
 4Cultivation
o 4.1Pests and diseases
 5As food
 6Nutrients
o 6.1Seed oils
 7Gallery
 8See also
 9References
 10External links

Vernacular names[edit]
These fruits are commonly known in English as "dragon fruit", a name used
since around 1963, apparently resulting from the leather-like skin and prominent
scaly spikes on the fruit exterior.  The names pitahaya and pitaya derive from
[3]

Mexico, and pitaya roja in Central America and northern South America,

possibly relating to pitahaya for names of tall cacti species with flowering fruit. [2]

 The fruit may also be known as a strawberry pear.

[4] [5]

Geography[edit]

Dragon fruit juice being sold in Thailand

Pitaya-producing cacti of the genus Selinicereus are native to regions including

Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and
northern South America.  The dragon fruit is cultivated in Southeast Asia,
[1][2]

India, United States, the Caribbean, Australia, and throughout tropical

and subtropical world regions. [1][2]

Varieties[edit]
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Stenocereus[edit]
Stenocereus fruit (sour pitayas) are a variety that is commonly eaten in the arid
regions of the Americas. They are more sour and refreshing, with juicier flesh
and a stronger taste. The sour pitaya or pitaya agria (S. gummosus) in
the Sonoran Desert has been an important food source for indigenous peoples
of the Americas. The Seri people of northwestern Mexico still harvest the fruit,
and call the plant ziix is ccapxl "thing whose fruit is sour". The fruit of related
species, such as S. queretaroensis and the dagger cactus (S. griseus), are also
locally important foods. The fruit of the organ pipe cactus (S. thurberi,
called ool by the Seris) is the pitaya dulce "sweet pitaya". It has a more tart
aroma than Selenicereus fruit, described as somewhat reminiscent
of watermelon. [citation needed]

Dragon fruit Selenicereus[edit]
Ripe dragon fruit in Vietnam

Sweet pitayas come in three types, all with leathery, slightly leafy skin:

 Selenicereus undatus (Pitaya blanca or white-fleshed pitaya, also known

as Hylocereus undatus) has pink-skinned fruit with white flesh. This is the
most commonly seen "dragon fruit".
 Selenicereus costaricensis (Pitaya roja or red-fleshed pitaya, also known
as Hylocereus costaricensis, and possibly incorrectly as Hylocereus
polyrhizus) has red-skinned fruit with red flesh.
 Selenicereus megalanthus (Pitaya amarilla or yellow pitaya, also known
as Hylocereus megalanthus) has yellow-skinned fruit with white flesh.
The fruit normally weighs from 150 to 600 grams (5+ ⁄  to 21 oz); some may
1
2

reach 1 kg (2 lb 3 oz).  Early imports from Colombia to Australia were

[6]

designated "Hylocereus ocampensis" (or "Cereus repandus", the red fruit) and
"Cereus triangularis" (supposedly, the yellow fruit). It is not quite certain to
which species these taxa refer. [citation needed]

Cultivation[edit]

Pitaya seedling
A dragon fruit field in China

In Ninh Thuận, Vietnam

After a thorough cleaning of the seeds from the pulp of the fruit, the seeds may
be stored when dried. The ideal fruit is unblemished and overripe.
Seeds grow well in a compost or potting soil mix – even as a potted indoor
plant. Pitaya cacti usually germinate after between 11 and 14 days after shallow
planting. As they are cacti, overwatering is a concern for home growers. As their
growth continues, these climbing plants will find something to climb on, which
can involve putting aerial roots down from the branches in addition to the basal
roots. Once the plant reaches a mature 4.5 kilograms (10 pounds) in weight, the
plant may flower. [clarification needed]

Commercial plantings can be done at high density with between 1,100 and
1,350 plants per hectare. Plants can take up to five years to come into full
commercial production, at which stage yields of 20 to 30 tons per hectare can
be expected. [7]

Pitaya flowers bloom overnight and usually wilt by the evening.  They rely on
[8]

nocturnal pollinators such as bats or moths for fertilization. Self-fertilization will

not produce fruit in some species, and while cross-breeding has resulted in
several "self-fertile" varieties, cross-pollinating with a second, genetically distinct
plant of the same species generally increases fruit set and quality. This limits
the capability of home growers to produce the fruit. However, the plants can
flower between three and six times in a year depending on growing conditions.
Like other cacti, if a healthy piece of the stem is broken off, it may take root in
soil and become its own plant.
The plants can endure temperatures up to 40 °C (104 °F) and very short
periods of frost, but will not survive long exposure to freezing temperatures. The
cacti thrive most in USDA zones 10–11, but may survive outdoors in zone 9a or
9b. [2][9]

Selenicereus has adapted to live in dry tropical climates with a moderate

amount of rain. In numerous regions, it has escaped cultivation to become a
weed and is classified as an invasive weed in some countries. [1]

Pests and diseases[edit]

Stems and fruits are susceptible to several diseases caused by fungi, bacteria,
a nematode, and a virus.  Overwatering or excessive rainfall can cause the
[10]

flowers to drop and fruit to rot. The bacterium Xanthomonas campestris causes

the stems to rot. Dothiorella fungi can cause brown spots on the fruit. Other
fungi known to infect pitaya include Botryosphaeria dothidea, Colletotrichum
gloesporioides and Bipolaris cactivora. [10]

As food[edit]
The fruit's texture is sometimes likened to that of the kiwifruit because of its
black, crunchy seeds. The seed oil contains the fatty acids, linoleic
acid and linolenic acid.  Dragon fruit is used to flavor and
[11]

color juices and alcoholic beverages, such as "Dragon's Blood Punch" and the

"Dragotini".  The flowers can be eaten or steeped as tea.
[12] [13]

The red and purple colors of some Selenicereus fruits are due to betacyanins, a

family of pigments that includes betanin, the same substance that
gives beets, Swiss chard, and amaranth their red color. [14][15]

Dried Dragon fruit (manufacturer entry)

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)

Energy 1,100 kJ (260 kcal)

Carbohydrates 82.14 g

Sugars 82.14 g

Dietary fiber 1.8 g

Protein 3.57 g

Vitamins Quantity%DV†

Vitamin C 11%

9.2 mg

Minerals Quantity%DV†

Calcium 11%

107 mg

Sodium 3%

39 mg

Link to USDA Database entry

 Units
  μg = micrograms • mg = milligrams

 IU = International units

†
Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults.

Source: USDA FoodData Central

Nutrients[edit]
As the nutrient content of raw pitaya has not been thoroughly analyzed or
published as of 2019, the USDA FoodData Central database reports one
limited product label entry from a manufacturer of a branded product, showing
that a 100-gram (3+ ⁄ -ounce) reference serving of dried pitaya provides 1,100
1
2

kilojoules (264 kilocalories) of food energy, 82% carbohydrates, 4% protein, and

11% of the Daily Value each for vitamin C and calcium (see USDA link in table).
[dubious  –  discuss]

Seed oils[edit]
The fatty acid compositions of two pitaya seed oils were determined as follows: [11]

Selenicereus costaricensis, syn. Hylocereus Selenicereus undatus, syn. Hylocereus

costaricensis (Red-fleshed pitaya) undatus (White-fleshed pitaya)

Myristic acid 0.2% 0.3%

Palmitic acid 17.9% 17.1%

Stearic acid 5.5% 4.4%

Palmitoleic
0.9% 0.6%
acid

Oleic acid 21.6% 23.8%

Cis-vaccenic
3.1% 2.8%
acid

Linoleic acid 49.6% 50.1%

Linolenic acid 1.2% 1.0%

Gallery[edit]
 

Nocturnal pitahaya flowers

White pitahaya Selenicereus undatus

Yellow pitahaya Selenicereus megalanthus

Red pitahaya Selenicereus costaricensis

Pitaya fruit in various colors

Dress for a folk dance called Flor de Pitahaya "Pitahaya Flower" from Baja California Sur displayed at the Museo de Arte
Popular in Mexico City