Common Name:

General Information

Harrisia martinii is a spiny, evergreen, much branched, clambering cactus with stems up to 2 metres or more long and 20 - 25mm in diameter[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food.
Harrisia martinii is widely distributed, is abundant throughout its range, and there are no major threats affecting it. It also occurs in several protected areas. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2017)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

S. America - northeastern Argentina, western Uruguay, eastern Paraguay, southern Bolivia

Habitat

Hilly areas among shrubs, and in forests and forest clearings. It is favoured by anthropogenic activities; at elevations up to 500 metres[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	2.00 m
Pollinators	Moths, Bats
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

The genus Harrisia is found in semi-arid tropical to subtropical regions of the Americas, growing in both the northern and southern hemispheres. There is usually a dry season at the cooler part of the year that can last up to 6 months. Annual precipitation is generally around 500 - 1,200mm. In the northernmost part of its range, in Florida, and in its southwestern range in Argentina and Bolivia, it experiences occasional freezing temperatures, and in cultivation light frosts (1-2 per year) experienced by species in Florida, seemed well-tolerated and not detrimental[].

This species has escaped from cultivation and become an invasive weed in countries such as Hawaii, S. Africa and Australia[].
The flowers open of a night time and are sweetly scented to attract bats and moths[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw[]. The red fruits are around 35mm long[]. Harrisia fruits generally contain a sweet, edible, white pulp with hundreds to thousands of tiny seeds embedded in the pulp[]. The fruit usually tears open at the sides as it ripens to expose the inner pulp and seed[].

Roots - cooked. They can be boiled or roasted[, ].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - usually germinates quickly and well without pre-treatment, though fresh seed may have a short dormancy of up to 8 weeks, Washing the seed in water prior to sowing can shorten germination time. The seed sometimes germinates whilst still in the fruit[].
Cuttings. Vegetative reproduction is frequent in nature when stems break and detach from the parent plant. The stems can proceed to produce roots along tissue nearest to the ground and produce a new plant[].

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