Harrisia portoricensis

Critically Imperiled  (NatureServe)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Cactaceae
Subfamily: Cactoideae
Genus: Harrisia
Species:
H. portoricensis
Binomial name
Harrisia portoricensis
Synonyms
  • Cereus portoricensis (Britton) Urb. 1910
  • Harrisia hurstii W.T.Marshall 1941

Harrisia portoricensis is a species of cactus in the genus Harrisia.[2][3] Its common names include higo chumbo and Puerto Rico applecactus.

Description

Harrisia portoricensis grows upright with only a few branches and reaches heights of 2 to 3 meters. The slender shoots have a diameter of 3 to 4 centimeters. There are eleven rounded ribs, separated from each other by shallow furrows. The 13 to 17 grayish white thorns have a darker tip and are 2 to 3 centimeters long.

The flowers are up to 15 centimeters long. The yellow, spherical to egg-shaped fruits reach a diameter of 4 to 6 centimeters.[4]

Distribution

It is endemic to Puerto Rico, where it is known from three smaller islands off the coast of the main island.[5] The population is estimated at 59,000 on Mona Island, 148 individuals on Monito Island, and only 9 on Desecheo Island.[5] It grows on in scrubland on exposed limestone at elevations of 0-150 meters.[6]

Taxonomy

The first description by Nathaniel Lord Britton was published in 1909. The specific epithet portoricensis refers to the occurrence of the species in Puerto Rico. A nomenclature synonym is Cereus portoricensis (Britton) Urb. (1910).

References

  1. ↑ NatureServe. 1994. Harrisia portoricensis, Higo Chumbo. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.158613/Harrisia_portoricensis. Accessed 30 November 2021.
  2. ↑ "Harrisia portoricensis". Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
  3. ↑ Harrisia
  4. ↑ Anderson, Edward F.; Eggli, Urs (2005). Das grosse Kakteen-Lexikon (in German). Stuttgart (Hohenheim): Ulmer. p. 340. ISBN 3-8001-4573-1.
  5. 1 2 USFWS. Higo Chumbo Five-year Review. January 2010.
  6. ↑ Franck, Alan R. (2016). "MONOGRAPH OF HARRISIA" (PDF). Phytoneuron. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
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