Harrisia portoricensis
| Harrisia portoricensis | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific 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 | |
| |
Harrisia portoricensis is a species of cactus in the genus Harrisia.[2][3] Its common names include higo chumbo and Puerto Rico applecactus.
Description
[edit]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
[edit]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]
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Scene of higo chumbo cactus with water in background -
Higo chumbo on Mona Island
.jpg)
Taxonomy
[edit]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
[edit]- ^ 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.
- ^ "Harrisia portoricensis". Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
- ^ Harrisia
- ^ Anderson, Edward F.; Eggli, Urs (2005). Das grosse Kakteen-Lexikon (in German). Stuttgart (Hohenheim): Ulmer. p. 340. ISBN 3-8001-4573-1.
- ^ a b USFWS. Higo Chumbo Five-year Review. January 2010.
- ^ Franck, Alan R. (2016). "MONOGRAPH OF HARRISIA" (PDF). Phytoneuron. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
External links
[edit]
Media related to Harrisia portoricensis at Wikimedia Commons
Data related to Harrisia portoricensis at Wikispecies
