Pereskia quisqueyana

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Pereskia quisqueyana
Pereskia quisqueyana.JPG
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Core eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Cactaceae
Genus: Pereskia
Species:P. quisqueyana
Binomial name
Pereskia quisqueyana
E.Ekman

Pereskia quisqueyana, commonly known as the Bayahibe rose, is a species of cactus that is endemic to the Dominican Republic. [1] P. quisqueyana is one of only several cactus species which possess leaves. Its natural habitat includes subtropical or tropical dry forests that are found on the Southeast coast of Hispaniola; particularly around the town of Bayahibe, its namesake. It is critically endangered due to habitat loss.

Cactus Family of mostly succulent plants, adapted to dry environments

A cactus is a member of the plant family Cactaceae, a family comprising about 127 genera with some 1750 known species of the order Caryophyllales. The word "cactus" derives, through Latin, from the Ancient Greek κάκτος, kaktos, a name originally used by Theophrastus for a spiny plant whose identity is not certain. Cacti occur in a wide range of shapes and sizes. Most cacti live in habitats subject to at least some drought. Many live in extremely dry environments, even being found in the Atacama Desert, one of the driest places on earth. Cacti show many adaptations to conserve water. Almost all cacti are succulents, meaning they have thickened, fleshy parts adapted to store water. Unlike many other succulents, the stem is the only part of most cacti where this vital process takes place. Most species of cacti have lost true leaves, retaining only spines, which are highly modified leaves. As well as defending against herbivores, spines help prevent water loss by reducing air flow close to the cactus and providing some shade. In the absence of leaves, enlarged stems carry out photosynthesis. Cacti are native to the Americas, ranging from Patagonia in the south to parts of western Canada in the north—except for Rhipsalis baccifera, which also grows in Africa and Sri Lanka.

Endemism Ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location or habitat

Endemism is the ecological state of a species being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation, country or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. The extreme opposite of endemism is cosmopolitan distribution. An alternative term for a species that is endemic is precinctive, which applies to species that are restricted to a defined geographical area.

Dominican Republic country in the Caribbean

The Dominican Republic is a country located in the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares with the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands, along with Saint Martin, that are shared by two sovereign states. The Dominican Republic is the second-largest Caribbean nation by area at 48,671 square kilometers (18,792 sq mi), and third by population with approximately 10 million people, of which approximately three million live in the metropolitan area of Santo Domingo, the capital city.

The species was discovered by the French botanist, Henri Alain Liogier, in 1977. He named it quisqueyana, in honor of the Dominican Republic, which is also referred to as Quisqueya . Law 146-11 of the Dominican Republic, established the Bayahibe Rose as the national flower of the country and ensured its protection due to its endangered status.

France Republic with mainland in Europe and numerous oversea territories

France, officially the French Republic, is a country whose territory consists of metropolitan France in Western Europe and several overseas regions and territories. The metropolitan area of France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean. It is bordered by Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany to the northeast, Switzerland and Italy to the east, and Andorra and Spain to the south. The overseas territories include French Guiana in South America and several islands in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. The country's 18 integral regions span a combined area of 643,801 square kilometres (248,573 sq mi) and a total population of 67.3 million. France, a sovereign state, is a unitary semi-presidential republic with its capital in Paris, the country's largest city and main cultural and commercial centre. Other major urban areas include Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Lille and Nice.

Description

P. quisqueyana is a dioecious cactus that resembles a shrub and reaches up to 6 metres (20 ft) in height. Its trunk is surrounded by groups of spines which erupt in bunches. Its succulent leaves are elliptical in shape and are a bright green color. The flower of the P. quisqueyana is pink in color and blooms from the ends of its branches. Its fruits are yellow and contain black seeds.

Shrub type of plant

A shrub or bush is a small- to medium-sized woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. They are distinguished from trees by their multiple stems and shorter height, and are usually under 6 m (20 ft) tall. Plants of many species may grow either into shrubs or trees, depending on their growing conditions. Small, low shrubs, generally less than 2 m (6.6 ft) tall, such as lavender, periwinkle and most small garden varieties of rose, are often termed "subshrubs".

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<i>Escobaria minima</i> species of plant

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<i>Escobaria sneedii</i> species of plant

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<i>Pereskia bleo</i> species of plant

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<i>Pilosocereus robinii</i> species of plant

Pilosocereus robinii is a species of cactus known by the common name Key tree-cactus. It is native to the Florida Keys in the United States. It may occur in Cuba, but any populations there are unconfirmed. It has been reported from Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Mexico. It is a rare species which is threatened by the loss of its habitat. It is a federally listed endangered species of the United States.

<i>Sclerocactus wetlandicus</i> species of plant

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<i>Eriosyce chilensis</i> species of plant

Eriosyce chilensis or "Chilenito" is a critically endangered species of cactus from Chile. Found on the coast between Coquimbo and Valparaiso, the plant is one of the world's 100 most threatened species according to the IUCN. Its rarity is primarily due to its small native habitat range and illegal overcollection for the ornamental cactus trade. The cactus as two know varieties, which are similar except that var. chilensis produces red flowers while var. albidiflora produces yellow flowers.

References

  1. PUCMM. "Pereskia Quisqueyana" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2011-05-26. Retrieved 2010-09-24.