Pitayita De Culebra or Coneflower Moonlight Cactus

This is a watercolor depicting a species of Selenicereus, sometimes referred as Moonlight Cactus. Selenicereus derives from the name of the Greek moon goddess Selene, and cereus, the latin world for candle, referring to the fact that the plants flower at night. Its flowers are mostly white and fragrant, producing fruit. Selenicereus coniflorus is native to Mexico.

The illustration is by award-winning botanical illustrator Mary Emily Eaton (1873-1961). Born in England and formally trained in art, Eaton began illustrating natural subjects while visiting family in Jamaica. She moved to New York in 1911 where she became the principal illustrator for The New York Botanical Garden, producing hundreds of plates. The illustration shown here comes from her illustration work for The Cactaceae by Britton & Rose, a seminal work on cactus taxonomy that is still considered an important scientific work today. Hundreds of Eaton’s works are part of the permanent collections of the The New York Botanical Garden, the National Geographic Society, and the Smithsonian Institution.

Plate Number: 252
Publication: The Cactaceae Vol. 2 Pl. 35
Client: Britton, N.L. and Rose, J.N. - Size: 11x14
Selenicereus coniflorus (Cactaceae) - Collection: Rose, Mexico; flowering branch. Artist: Eaton, Mary Emily - 08 May 1913 - watercolor