ドラゴンフルーツの花

9月27日（日）快晴

高さ10mにもなる蔓性の多年生サボテン。和名はヒモサボテン。豪州の栽培農家では2mの支柱を立て、傘状に枝作り。下垂した枝先に花が付きます。本体は無骨でも花は意外と清楚。アボガド大の実がなりますが、ケアンズでは稀に椰子の実大のものも見かけます。中南米原産。日本でも沖縄などで栽培していますが気候が合わないのか不味い。追熟ができないので輸入物も甘味に欠けます。やはり熱帯で食べるべき果物。果肉は赤、白、黄色、ピンクなどがあり、ピンクが甘くて美味しい。

ヒモサボテン

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Flower of dragon fruit
Sun. September 27 : fine

Dragon fruit is a kind of perennial lianoid cactus that grows 10m high. Its Japanese name is “string cactus”. In Australia the producers set a 2m-pole to guide the branches in umbrella shape. The flowers bloom at the top of the branches. Its body is burly but the flowers are unexpectedly elegant. It yields avocado-size fruits but you can sometimes see coconut-size ones in Cairns. Dragon fruit originally comes from Latin America. In Japan they are produced in Okinawa but they are not tasty because the climate may not be good for them. Since the force-ripening is not suitable imported ones are lack of sweetness. They are to be eaten in the tropical areas. The flesh is either red, white, yellow or pink, and the pink one is quite sweet and tasty.

lianoid cactus