cereus cactus...need help to identify

[jajbellsouthnet]

I am looking for the Night-Blooming Cereus listed in the Nursing Drug Handbooks Herbal Medicine Handbook and the Herb Society of America New Encyclopedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Unfortunately, neither book contains a picture of the complete plant. Flowers only. I found mostly pictures of the flower on the Web and not much to identify it otherwise. I did find a line drawing which showed a small ground-hugging plant which has branches which more resembled jointed arms than the pads which most people associate with cacti. This past weekend I managed to find two Night-Blooming Cereus plants. One, which I bought, looked like the small jointed-arm plant in the line drawing. Full grown, it fits in a 5-gallon container with room to spare. The other Night-Blooming Cereus that I found had more pad-like leaves and was HUGE. 8 feet or more tall. Help.....which one is the real medicinal Cereus and which is not. Or are they both used for the same ailments?

[CarolAnn]

jajbellsouthnet -

You have hit on one of the most important and dangerous things about using plants for your own medicines. You must NEVER rely on the common name because sometimes plants with the same name aren't even the same species. You really need to have the latin name to be sure you are starting with the right plant.

For example, I knew a woman in Arkansas who was a self-styled "healer" and she read that "flag" was good for something. "Flag" can refer to iris, or death camus - you can see why it's important to be absolutely sure! :o

That said, here is what I found on the common name, and this describes Peniocereus greggii (Cereus greggii). Maybe you'll be able to use the description to find out if this is the one your book is refering to.


The Night-blooming Cereus has sparse, angular, lead-gray, twiggy stems about 1/2 inch in diameter. Extremeley small spines grow along the 4 to 6 ribs of these woody stems, which can easily break. It can be erect or sprawling, reaching a length of up to 8 feet, but is usually half that length.

The Night Blooming Cereus has a tuberous, turnip-like root usually weighing 5 to 15 pounds (but in some specimens weighing over 100 pounds), which Native Americans used as a food source.

A close Baja relation (Peniocereus. johnstonii), called Saramatraca, Pitayita, or Matraca is locally popular for its edible tuber, which is said to account for the plant's scarcity there.

Night-blooming Cereus is popular in rock gardens and can be grown from stem cuttings. After the cut end is is allowed to heal for several weeks, it is planted in dry sand. Like all cactus, Night-blooming Cereus may be protected in certain desert areas, and permits may be required to collect them.