also: もくきりん
Barbados gooseberry; leaf cactus; lemonvine
A tropical climbing cactus with edible leaves and fruits, known scientifically as Pereskia aculeata. The Japanese name is usually written in katakana.
The Barbados gooseberry has succulent leaves and edible fruit.
I found a leaf cactus at the tropical botanical garden.
Katakana spelling is standard for this plant name; usually written in kana.
Kanji spelling is rare and mainly used in botanical contexts; the reading もっきりん is also possible for this form.
The name モクキリン (木麒麟) literally means 'wooden giraffe' or 'tree giraffe', likely from the plant's woody stems and the mythical qilin (麒麟) association, but the exact origin is uncertain.