Biology:Harrisia (plant)

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Short description: Genus of cacti

Harrisia
The Cactaceae Vol II, plate XX filtered.jpg
Harrisia gracilis and Harrisia martinii
Scientific classification e
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Cactaceae
Subfamily: Cactoideae
Tribe: Cereeae
Subtribe: Trichocereinae
Genus: Harrisia
Britton[1]
Type species
Harrisia gracilis
Species

See text.

Synonyms[1]
  • (Backeb.) Backeb. Riccob.
  • Erythrocereus Eriocereus
  • Houghton Roseocereus

Harrisia (applecactus[2] and moonlight cactus[3][4]) is a genus of night blooming cacti.

Description

They are tree-shaped, sometimes climbing or shrub-like cacti with cylindrical shoots. They reach heights of up to 7 m. The shoots are ribbed (four to twelve ribs) and do not form aerial roots. The flowers open at night, are white and up to 12 cm in diameter. After successful pollination, rounded fruits are formed, which are red to orange in color. The fruits have scales with areoles in the axils. The black seeds are 2 to 3 × 1.5 mm in size.[5]

Distribution

Plants are native to Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil, Bolivia, Uruguay, the Greater Antilles, the Bahamas, and the U.S. state of Florida. The genus is named after William Harris, an important botanist of Jamaica. There are about 20 species.[6]

Harrisia cactus is an exotic invasive in Queensland,[3][7] Africa, and the U.S. state of Hawaii.

Taxonomy

The genus was established by Nathaniel Lord Britton in 1909.[1]

Species

(As of September 2023), Plants of the World Online accepted the following species separated into two subgenera:[8][1]

Subgenus Image Scientific name Distribution
Eriocereus (A. Berger) A.R. Franck Harrisia tephracantha 4799.jpg Harrisia tetracantha (Labour.) D.R.Hunt Bolivia.
Harrisia regelii.jpg Harrisia regelii (Weing.) Borg Argentina (Santa Fé, Entre Ríos) to Uruguay.
Harrisia martinii.jpg Harrisia martinii (Labour.) Britton E. Paraguay to NE. Argentina.
Harrisia bonplandii Pantanal.jpg Harrisia bonplandii (J.Parm. ex Pfeiff.) Britton & Rose Paraguay, Argentina, Bolivia
Harrisia pomanensis Blüte.jpg Harrisia pomanensis (F.A.C.Weber ex K.Schum.) Britton & Rose Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay
Harrisia tortuosa 2019-12-13 6504.jpg Harrisia tortuosa (J.Forbes) Britton & Rose Bolivia to Uruguay.
Harrisia Harrisia aboriginum (prickly applecactus) 10.jpg Harrisia aboriginum Small ex Britton & Rose Florida, on the Gulf Coast of the counties of Lee, Sarasota County, and Charlotte
Harrisia adscendens (Gürke) Britton & Rose Brazil
Harrissia brookii01.jpg Harrisia brookii Britton Bahamas.
Harrisia caymanensis A.R.Franck Cayman Islands, Swan Islands.
Harrisia divaricata.jpg Harrisia divaricata (Lam.) Backeb. Hispaniola.
Harrisia earlei - 3.jpg Harrisia earlei Britton & Rose Cuba
Harrisia eriophora (Pfeiff.) Britton Cuba.
Harrisia fernowii Britton Cuba.
Harrisia fragans.jpg Harrisia fragrans Small ex Britton & Rose St. Lucie County, Florida
Harrisia gracilis (Mill.) Britton Jamaica
Higo Chumbo fruit (5840524148).jpg Harrisia portoricensis Britton Puerto Rico
Harrisia taetra.jpg Harrisia taetra Areces Cuba.

References

External links

Wikidata ☰ Q133985 entry