Originated in Costa Rica, spanning Nicaragua to Peru. Introduction and cultivation in Guangxi, Guangdong, Guizhou, Hainan, Yunnan and Fujian.
The celestial ruler of Costa Rica is a perennial, terrestrial, epiphytic and vine cactus. There are triangular (3 sides, sometimes 4 or 5 sides), green, fleshy, multi-node and multi-branched stems. Each stem segment has three flat wavy wings (ribs) with horny edges, and may have 1 to 3 small spines or no spines. Stem segments form aerial roots and attach to the growth or climbing surface. Stems climbing, 1 to 3 cm wide, usually very thick; Ribs 3 (to 4), margin till shallowly scalloped; Internodes 2 to 3.5 x 0. 1 to 0.2 cm; Microspores are usually folded, protruding, closely attached, short hairs and 3-6 short hairs, spines 2-4 mm, hairs 2, usually setose, and soon fall off; The epidermis is grayish green. The pole can reach about 6. 1 meter. The cactus on a small area with thorns or hairs is 2 mm, and the internode length is 1 to 4 cm. The thorn length on the branch is 1 ~ 3 cm, about 2 ~ 4 cm. They are needle-shaped (needle-shaped) to nearly conical, taupe to black, and their skins are dark green.
The flowers are funnel-shaped, 22 to 30 cm long, with rich fragrance and spherical buds; Cylindrical ovoid, about 4 cm long, bracteoles narrow, leaflike, mostly imbricate, 1 to 2 cm long; Receptacle is stout, 10 ~ 15 cm, with an inverted conical throat and a mouth width of 6 cm. Bracteoles leaflike, persistent, especially imbricate to base, with green and purple edges. Tepals 1 1 to 15cm, yellow-green outside and white inside; Stigma lobes about 12, not bifurcated; Ovary large, wide to narrowly triangular, overlapping bracteoles, 0.5 to 3 cm. The fruit is broadly ovoid to spherical and bright magenta. The peel and pulp are dark magenta. This fruit contains tiny black seeds, which look like sesame seeds, similar to the seeds of kiwifruit, but with a lighter taste. Seeds pear-shaped, black, ca. 1 to 2 mm.