Harrisia portoricensis
Britton
Cactaceae
Cereus portoricensis (Britton) Urb.
Harrisia hurstii W.T.Marshall
Common Name:
General Information
Harrisia portoricensis is a spiny, evergreen, erect, shrubby cactus with few branches; it grows around 2 - 3 metres tall. The slender stems are around 3 - 4cm in diameter[
1987- Title
- The Cactus Family
- Publication
-
- Author
- Anderson E.F.
- Publisher
- Timber Press; Portland, Oregon
- Year
- 2001
- ISBN
- 0-88192-498-9
- Description
- An excellent work, giving botanical descriptions of virtually all the cacti, together with their range (but not their habitats) and sometimes also a photo. it also contains a long chapter detailing the many uses of cacti and another on cultivation..
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food.
Harrisia portoricensis
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
1987- Title
- The Cactus Family
- Publication
-
- Author
- Anderson E.F.
- Publisher
- Timber Press; Portland, Oregon
- Year
- 2001
- ISBN
- 0-88192-498-9
- Description
- An excellent work, giving botanical descriptions of virtually all the cacti, together with their range (but not their habitats) and sometimes also a photo. it also contains a long chapter detailing the many uses of cacti and another on cultivation..
,
1995- Title
- Monograph of Harrisia (Cactaceae)
- Publication
- Phytoneuron 2016-85: 1-159
- Author
- Franck A.R.
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 2016
- ISBN
- 2153 733X
- Description
- A very comprehensive treatment of the genus, with lots of illustrations and colour photos
Range
Caribbeab - Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico
Habitat
Scrubland on exposed limestone rock; at elevations up to150 metres[
1995- Title
- Monograph of Harrisia (Cactaceae)
- Publication
- Phytoneuron 2016-85: 1-159
- Author
- Franck A.R.
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 2016
- ISBN
- 2153 733X
- Description
- A very comprehensive treatment of the genus, with lots of illustrations and colour photos
].
Properties
| Edibility Rating |  |
| Habit | Evergreen Shrub |
| Height | 2.50 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[
1995- Title
- Monograph of Harrisia (Cactaceae)
- Publication
- Phytoneuron 2016-85: 1-159
- Author
- Franck A.R.
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 2016
- ISBN
- 2153 733X
- Description
- A very comprehensive treatment of the genus, with lots of illustrations and colour photos
].
The flowers open of a night time and are sweetly scented to attract bats and moths[
1987- Title
- The Cactus Family
- Publication
-
- Author
- Anderson E.F.
- Publisher
- Timber Press; Portland, Oregon
- Year
- 2001
- ISBN
- 0-88192-498-9
- Description
- An excellent work, giving botanical descriptions of virtually all the cacti, together with their range (but not their habitats) and sometimes also a photo. it also contains a long chapter detailing the many uses of cacti and another on cultivation..
].
Edible Uses
Fruit - raw[
335- Title
- Perennial Edible Fruits of the Tropics : an Inventory
- Publication
-
- Author
- Martin, F. W.; Campbell, C. W.; Rubertbe, R. M.
- Publisher
- U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service
- Year
- 1987
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A booklet giving terse details of almost 300 species of edible fruits, plus regional lists of Botanical and Common names for over 2,500 less well-known edible fruits of the tropics.
,
1438- Title
- Food Plants in the Americas: A Survey of the Domesticated, Cultivated, and Wild Plants Used for Human Food in North,
- Publication
-
- Author
- Kermath B.M.; Bennett B.C.' Pulsipher L.M.
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 2014
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A pre-publication draft of an amazing, on-going work first started in 1985. It contains information on more than 3,900 taxa from the Americas - from Arctic regions to the Tropics
]. Harrisia fruits generally contain a sweet, edible, white pulp with hundreds to thousands of tiny seeds embedded in the pulp[
1995- Title
- Monograph of Harrisia (Cactaceae)
- Publication
- Phytoneuron 2016-85: 1-159
- Author
- Franck A.R.
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 2016
- ISBN
- 2153 733X
- Description
- A very comprehensive treatment of the genus, with lots of illustrations and colour photos
]. The yellow fruit is free of spines[
1995- Title
- Monograph of Harrisia (Cactaceae)
- Publication
- Phytoneuron 2016-85: 1-159
- Author
- Franck A.R.
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 2016
- ISBN
- 2153 733X
- Description
- A very comprehensive treatment of the genus, with lots of illustrations and colour photos
].
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[
1995- Title
- Monograph of Harrisia (Cactaceae)
- Publication
- Phytoneuron 2016-85: 1-159
- Author
- Franck A.R.
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 2016
- ISBN
- 2153 733X
- Description
- A very comprehensive treatment of the genus, with lots of illustrations and colour photos
].
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[
1995- Title
- Monograph of Harrisia (Cactaceae)
- Publication
- Phytoneuron 2016-85: 1-159
- Author
- Franck A.R.
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 2016
- ISBN
- 2153 733X
- Description
- A very comprehensive treatment of the genus, with lots of illustrations and colour photos
].
If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.
Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
