Harrisia brookii

Harrisia brookii is a species of cactus found in the Bahamas.

Description

Harrisia brookii grows as a shrub with richly branched, light green shoots 3 to 4 centimeters in diameter and reaches heights of up to 5 meters. There are ten distinct, deeply notched ribs. The nine to twelve brown to white thorns are up to 2.5 centimeters long.
The funnel-shaped flowers are around 20 centimeters long. Its floral tube and pericarpel are covered with long, pointed scales. The yellowish, ellipsoid to spherical fruits reach a diameter of up to 8 centimeters. They are covered with low tubercles and perennial scales.

Distribution

Harrisia brookii is common in the Bahamas at elevations of 0–20 meters.

Taxonomy

The first description by Nathaniel Lord Britton was published in 1909. The specific epithet brookii honors the archivist Herbert A. Brooke from the Bahamas. A nomenclature synonym is Cereus brookii Vaupel.