Harrisia earlei

Harrisia earlei is a species of cactus endemic to Cuba.

Description

Harrisia earlei grows prostrate, shrubby to hanging. The dark green shoots have a diameter of and are long. There are five to seven ribs, which are angular on young shoots and almost cylindrical on old shoots. The five to eight needle-like, ascending, initially black thorns later turn gray and are long.
The flowers reach a length of up to. The yellow, depressed, spherical fruits are initially tuberous and later smooth. They have a diameter of.

Distribution

Harrisia earlei is widespread in Cuba in the Pinar del Río province on steep limestone cliffs in deciduous bushes at elevations of 100–400 meters.

Taxonomy

The first description was made in 1920 by Nathaniel Lord Britton and Joseph Nelson Rose. The specific epithet earlei honors the American botanist Franklin Sumner Earle.