Harrisia fragrans

Small ex Britton & Rose

Cact. 2: 149, fig. 216, plate 19, figs. 1, 2. 1920.

Common names: Fragrant prickly-apple Caribbean applecactus
EndemicConservation concern
Synonyms: Cereus eriophorus var. fragrans (Small ex Britton & Rose) L. D. Benson Cereus fragrans (Small ex Britton & Rose) Little
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 4. Treatment on page 153. Mentioned on page 154.

Stems erect, reclining, or clambering, to 3–5 m; ribs 10–12. Spines 9–13 per areole, 2–4 cm, tipped yellow or completely yellowish when young. Flowers: flower tube 18–20 cm, smooth or scarcely ridged; scales flat or nearly so, with axillary tufts hairs; hairs white, soft, 10–15 mm; buds with white hairs. Fruits orange-red at maturity, obovoid, 60 mm diam.


Phenology: Flowering May.
Habitat: Mostly remnants of oak-red bay scrub on dry sand dunes, usually with Opuntia
Elevation: 0 m

Discussion

Of conservation concern.

According to L. D. Benson (1982), Harrisia fragrans is a “canelike or shrubby plant [that] may be nearly lost in other vegetation growing up in disturbed areas of fields or the edges of the forest. Sometimes it stands above herbs and bushes.” It is easily cultivated, and J. K. Small (1932) observed “when planted en masse its hundreds of flowers present a rare sight all through the night. In fruit it is an attractive sight and also a great attraction as food for birds, many of whom are ravenously fond of the seeds.”

Harrisia fragrans differs from the Caribbean H. eriophora (Pfeiffer) Britton in fruit color (orange-red versus yellow), stem ribbing (10–12 versus 8–9), and spine number and morphology (9–13 per areole, 2–3 cm long, yellow tipped versus 6–9 per areole, 2.5–4.5 cm long, black tipped, respectively). L. D. Benson (1982) recognized these differences but included both taxa within a relatively broad species concept, emphasizing their copious production of long hairs in the flower areoles and other features.

D. F. Austin (1984) reported that the range of Harrisia fragrans is restricted to a 0.5–1.5 kilometer strip in St. Lucie County, Florida, in the immediate vicinity of the original (type) locality. He noted that other populations identified as this taxon actually are “Cereus gracilis,” which is presumably H. simpsonii.

Harrisia fragrans is in the Center for Plant Conservation’s National Collection of Endangered Plants.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Harrisia fragrans"
cushionlike +
circular to linear +
deciduous +  and persistent +
circular +  and oval +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (?) +
Bruce D. Parfitt +  and Arthur C. Gibson +
Small ex Britton & Rose +
hardened +
triangular +
proliferating +
flattened +  and cylindric +
Fragrant prickly-apple +  and Caribbean applecactus +
mucilaginous +
not separating +
20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br /> (25 cm250 mm <br />0.25 m <br />) +
12 cm120 mm <br />0.12 m <br /> (20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br />) +
tubular +, urceolate +  and salverform +
15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br /> (30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br />) +
18 cm180 mm <br />0.18 m <br /> (20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br />) +
8 cm80 mm <br />0.08 m <br /> (12 cm120 mm <br />0.12 m <br />) +
7.5 cm75 mm <br />0.075 m <br /> (8 cm80 mm <br />0.08 m <br />) +
7.5 cm75 mm <br />0.075 m <br /> (8 cm80 mm <br />0.08 m <br />) +
splitting +  and indehiscent +
60 cm600 mm <br />0.6 m <br /> (?) +
persistent +, long +  and deciduous +
4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br /> (7.5 cm75 mm <br />0.075 m <br />) +
obovoid +
dry +, fleshy +  and juicy +
4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br /> (7.5 cm75 mm <br />0.075 m <br />) +
Mostly remnants of oak-red bay scrub on dry sand dunes, usually with Opuntia +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br /> (7.5 cm75 mm <br />0.075 m <br />) +
deciduous +
rudimentary +
subulate +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br />) +
tuberculate +
fluted;spheric;depressed-spheric or club-shaped +
denticulate +  and entire +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br />) +
tuberculate +
deciduous +  and persistent +
Flowering May. +
mucilaginous +
ridgelike +  and nipple--shaped +
small1932a +
tuberculate +
rounded +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
deciduous +
nearly +  and flat +
triangular +
arillate +  and strophiolate +
0.4mm;12mm +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
ellipsoid;ovoid +
0.04 cm0.4 mm <br />4.0e-4 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (?) +
Endemic +  and Conservation concern +
0.075 cm0.75 mm <br />7.5e-4 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br />) +
yellowish +  and tipped yellow +
straight +
deciduous +  and persistent +
10mm +  and 40mm +
usually porrect +  and ascending +
9 (?) +  and 13 (?) +
terete +  and acicular +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.075 cm0.75 mm <br />7.5e-4 m <br />) +
decurrent +
open +  and unsegmented +
100 cm1,000 mm <br />1 m <br /> (600 cm6,000 mm <br />6 m <br />) +
clambering;reclining;clambering;reclining;erect +
terminal +  and lateral +
cylindric +
300 cm3,000 mm <br />3 m <br /> (500 cm5,000 mm <br />5 m <br />) +
succulent +
2.5cm;6cm +
yellow-green +  and white +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br />) +
tuberculate +
Cereus eriophorus var. fragrans +  and Cereus fragrans +
adventitious +
tuberlike +
epipetric +  and epiphytic +
Harrisia fragrans +
Harrisia +
species +
dull +  and glossy +
yellowish +  and darker +
unbranched +  and branched +
plant +, shrub +  and arboreous +
epiphytic;epiphytic;epiphytic +
prostrate +, clambering +  and erect +
barrel-shaped +  and spheric +