Greek selene—moon, referring to the flowers that open at night.
In nature epiphytic or growing on rocks with stems several metres long and bearing aerial roots. Ribs 2-12 with short, mostly bristly or hairy spines. Flowers nocturnal, mostly funnel-shaped, to 40 cm long and 20 cm wide, white, yellow, pink or brown. Areoles of pericarpel and flower tube with bristles or spines. Fruit spherical to ovoid, 6-8 cm long, brown, fleshy, red with persistent spines.
The two commonly cultivated species have areoles of the pericarpel and flower tube with long hairs: S. grandiflorus (L.) Britton & Rose has white flowers that are yellowish outside while S. macdonaldiae (Hook.) Britton & Rose has white flowers.
Climbing thin-stemmed habit, often with aerial roots; spines short or weak and bristly; flowers extremely large.
About 20 species from W Indies, Mexico, C America and S America.
Source: (1997). Cactaceae. In: . Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 2. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 1. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.
