Fruit characteristics of the unconventional food plant Pereskia aculeata Mill. (Cactaceae) in southeastern Brazil

Abstract

Ora-pro-nobis (Pereskia aculeata Mill., Cactaceae) is an unconventional food plant whose botanical,
agronomical, and cultural characteristics have been studied in Brazil. The present study
was conducted in a peri-urban area of Campinas, São Paulo state, and aimed to investigate
some of the fruit characteristics yet unknown for ora-pro-nobis. Our results show that this plant
has rather uniform fruit morphology, few seeds, low larval infestation, good germination under
natural conditions, and low consumption by wild animals. These characteristics make ora-pro-
-nobis fruits important for use in peri-urban agriculture.