Overview
H. guatemalensis × stenopterus, cv. Ax
Other names: Asunta Cross (unknown)
Pollination: self-sterile
Ax is a bit of an enigma in the dragon fruit world. No one is completely sure about its ancestry, but the consensus is that one of the parents belongs to the famous Asunta lineage bred by Edgar Valdivia, giving the purple-flower trait, and the other parent is a Guatemalan, giving the purple-flesh trait. Spicy Exotics suggests it is probably Asunta 1 or Asunta 2 crossed with Condor, which seems reasonable given these two varieties have been in circulation for quite some time. Additional sources suggest it might be one of three seedlings given to botanist Gray Martin by Edgar himself, which was later propagated and spread by his neighbour. Mysteries aside, this is probably one of the most unique varieties in my collection. It has a stunning purple flower, wrinkly-looking branches, and needs to be picked while still green to avoid an onion-like aftertaste which ruins its delicate flavour.
Buds
The buds on this variety are typical of coloured-flower cultivars, with an especially close resemblance to Connie Mayer. I would say the sepals/tepals are a slightly darker colour, however, which is surprising given the flower is a lighter purple. I have found the base of the buds to be slightly elongated, which carries on into the fruit development, and in fact I had to cut this fleshless, elongated base off the fruit to get it to sit right for the photo.
Flowers
In my opinion, the flowers are the real gem of this variety, rivalling its half-siblings without question. The petals are darker towards the centre, transitioning from a lighter pink to a darker purple across a sizeable thickness when compared to other coloured-flower varieties. The stigma is especially large, and its fronds are bifurcated giving it a bit of an alien-like appearance. As you might expect, it won’t set fruit without cross-pollination.
Fruit
Ax is one of an increasing number of varieties that taste best when picked green. Try it yourself if you are not convinced (I did!), but don’t be disappointed when it picks up a funny taste reminiscent of onion. When picked correctly, this fruit is quite palatable with a flavour that reminds me of a certain coconut lolly I had a lot of while away in Vietnam. I wouldn’t say it’s my favourite, but plenty of people rave about it so I wouldn’t discourage people from growing it out to see if they like it. For best results, pick when you see the first sign of colour, possibly even earlier when it starts becoming loose and the skin yields when you give it a gentle press.
