(DRAFT) - Taxonomy
Species CACTUS, PRICKLY-APPLE, FRAGRANT
Species Id ESIS704029
Date 13 MAR 96
TAXONOMY
NAME - CACTUS, PRICKLY-APPLE, FRAGRANT
OTHER COMMON NAMES - CACTUS, PRICKLY-APPLE and FRAGRANT
ELEMENT CODE -
CATEGORY - Angiosperm
PHYLUM AND SUBPHYLUM - MAGNOLIOPHYTA,
CLASS AND SUBCLASS - MAGNOLIOPSIDA,
ORDER AND SUBORDER - CARYOPHYLLALES,
FAMILY AND SUBFAMILY - CACTACEAE,
GENUS AND SUBGENUS - CEREUS,
SPECIES AND SSP - ERIOPHORUS, VAR.
SCIENTIFIC NAME - CEREUS ERIOPHORUS VAR.
AUTHORITY -
TAXONOMY REFERENCES -
COMMENTS ON TAXONOMY -
Fragrant Prickly-apple Cactus
Cereus eriophorus var. fragrans (J.K. Small) L. Benson
KINGDOM: Plant GROUP: Angiosperm
DIVISION: Magnoliophyta CLASS: Magnoliopsida
ORDER: Caryophyllales FAMILY: Cactaceae
Cereus eriophorus var. fragrans (Fragrant prickly-apple cactus)
is a columnar cactus with fluted cane-like stems 1-5 meters long. The
longer stems lean or sprawl over neighboring shrubs or trees. The
cylindrical stems are 2.5-5.0 centimeters in diameter and very spiny.
The nocturnal flowers are white or pink, scented, and 7.5-10
centimeters in diameter. The orange-red fruits are 5-6 centimeters
long. This species is not easily distinguished from the somewhat more
widespread Cereus gracilis, which has shorter spines and differently
shaped fruit (01).
The fragrant prickly-apple cactus grows to 4.5 meters tall, with
coarse fibrous roots. The stems are erect, reclining, or clambering,
stout and succulent, prominently ten-to-twelve-ridged, the ridges more
or less depressed between the areoles, the grooves rather deep and
sharp. The areoles are about 20 millimeters apart, each with a dense
tuft of very short hairs on the upper side. The spines are acicular,
Taxonomy - 1 (DRAFT) - Taxonomy
Species CACTUS, PRICKLY-APPLE, FRAGRANT
Species Id ESIS704029
Date 13 MAR 96
9-13 in each areole, mostly grayish and yellowish at the tip, one at
each areole longer than the others, mostly 2-4 centimeters long. The
young buds are copiously white-hairy. The buds about to expand are
12-20 centimeters long. The flowers are nocturnal, very showy and
fragrant. Hypanthium is light green, longer than the flower-limb,
slender-funnelform, scarcely ridged, the swollen base bearing subulate
or lanceolate-subulate separated scales, with long, white, lax hairs
protruding from beneath them. The scales of the tubular part of the
hypanthium are few and remote, subulate, slenderly acuminate, not
turgid, with a tuft of long white hairs in each axil. The sepals are
narrowly linear, slenderly acuminate, the outer ones are green, the
inner ones with white midribs or the innermost nearly white. The
corolla is white or pinkish, about 9-11.5 centimeters wide,
rotate-campanulate. The petals are numerous, spatulate, with the
broadened upper part unevenly toothed, acuminate, sometimes caudate-
acuminate. The stamens are very numerous, not exceeding the petals.
The filaments are filiform, white or nearly white. The anthers are
yellow. The style is greatly elongate. The stigmas are mostly 9 to
12. The berry is obovoid, 5-6 centimeters in diameter, dull red, with
tufts of long white hairs persistent with the scale bases. The seeds
are black, about 3 millimeters long, somewhat swollen at the base,
obscurely crested at the apex, finely pitted (02, as quoted in 06,
with minor changes in orthography).
Cereus eriophorus var. fragrans was discovered by John K. Small
of the New York Botanical Garden on the eastern coast of Florida in
St. Lucie County. He named it Harrisia fragrans (02), placing it in a
genus that is now estimated to number about 20 species in "Florida,
West Indies, and South America from Brazil to Argentina east of the
Andes" (03, p.20). The genus is placed in the tribe Hylocereeae (03).
Lyman Benson made Harrisia fragrans a variety of Cereus eriophora, a
Cuban species: the new name was Cereus eriophorus var. fragrans
(Small) L. Benson (04). Benson's delimitation of the genus Cereus is
not generally accepted (see 05, for example), so the taxon could be
formally reassigned to the genus Harrisia.
The type specimens of Cereus eriophorus var. fragrans are from
Florida: St. Lucie County, 20 Dec. 1917, J.K. Small. The holotype is
at the New York Botanical Garden. Isotypes are at the Gray Herbarium
(Harvard Univ.) and at the U.S. National Herbarium. Other specimens
include a topotype: Florida. St. Lucie Co., Benson & Benson 15375) at
the Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Garden, Pomona, CA. A specimen from
Brevard County, islands east of Malabar, 3 Nov. 1903, is at the New
York Botanical Garden.
Taxonomy - 2 (DRAFT) - Status
Species CACTUS, PRICKLY-APPLE, FRAGRANT
Species Id ESIS704029
Date 13 MAR 96
STATUS
Coded Status
Florida; Federal Endangered
Florida; Officially Listed
E: Federal Endangered
COMMENTS ON STATUS -
U.S. STATUSES AND LAWS:
The fragrant prickly-apple cactus (Cereus eriophorus var.
fragrans) has been designated an Endangered species pursuant to the
Endangered Species Act of 1973 (50 CFR 17.12;P.L. 93-205, 87 Stat.
884; 16 U.S.C. 1531-1540), as amended. The species has this status
wherever found including the State of Florida. Critical Habitat has
not been designated.
This variety is protected by the Lacey Act (P.L. 97-79, as
amended; 16 U.S.C. 3371 et seq.) which makes it unlawful to possess
any wild plant (including roots, seeds, and other parts) within U.S.
territorial or special maritime jurisdiction (as defined in 18 U.S.C.
7); or to import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire, or
purchase in interstate or foreign commerce any wild plant (including
roots, seeds, and other parts) taken, possessed, transported, or
sold in violation of any State law or regulation. It is also unlawful
to import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire, or purchase
any wild plant (including roots, seeds, and other parts) taken or
possessed in violation of any U.S. law, treaty, or regulation or in
violation of Indian tribal law.
RESPONSIBLE FEDERAL AGENCIES:
USFWS -Responsible for the management/recovery, listing, and
law enforcement/protection of this species.
All Federal agencies have responsibility to ensure that any
action authorized, funded, or carried out by that agency is not likely
to jeopardize the continued existence of the species (50 CFR 402), and
to utilize their authorities to carry out programs for the
conservation of the species.
STATE STATUSES AND LAWS:
STATE: Florida
DESIGNATED STATUS: Endangered
ADMINISTRATIVE AGENCY: Florida Department of Agriculture and
Consumer Services
STATE STATUTE: Preservation of Native Flora of Florida Act,
Florida Statutes, Section 581.185-187.
INTERNATIONAL STATUSES, TREATIES, AND AGREEMENTS:
Category II, CITES (this status applies to all cacti native to the
Status - 1 (DRAFT) - Status
Species CACTUS, PRICKLY-APPLE, FRAGRANT
Species Id ESIS704029
Date 13 MAR 96
Americas)
ECONOMIC STATUSES:
Not known to be in commerce as an ornamental, but there is a
potential market for many rare cacti.
75/07/01:40 FR 27823/27924 - Notice of Review, Smithsonian Report
76/06/16:42 FR 24523/24572 - Proposed rule to list as endangered
79/12/10:44 FR 70796/70797 - Withdrawal of proposal
80/12/15:45 FR 82480/82569 - Revised notice of review
84/01/20:49 FR 02485/02488 - Finding, action warranted but precluded
85/03/06:50 FR 09089/09092 - Proposed rule to list as endangered
85/11/01:50 FR 45618/45621 - Final rule to list as endangered
Status - 2 HABITAT ASSOCIATIONS
HABITAT - TERRESTRIAL
TERRESTRIAL
LAND USE -
Residential
Mixed Forest Land
COMMENTS ON HABITAT ASSOCIATIONS -
Cereus eriophorus var. fragrans is known to occur on dry sand
soil in the remnants of what appear to have been thickets of cabbage
palmetto (Sabal palmetto), sand live oak (Quercus geminata), Chapman
oak (Quercus chapmanii), myrtle oak (Quercus myrtifolia), red bay
(Persea borbonia), and stopper (Eugenia uniflora), with vines
including greenbriar (Smilax laurifolia), grape (Vitis rotundifolia),
and the parasitic love vine (Cassytha filiformis). Conradina
grandiflora, a candidate for Federal listing, occurred at one site
(06). Prickly-pear cacti (Opuntia) are strongly associated with
populations of Cereus (07). The sites have mostly been altered by
bulldozing, leaving sandy fields with Muhlenbergia grass and
Polygonella fimrbriata (a wireweed). Since the sites are in an area
that has had houses since the late nineteenth century, it is possible
that other human activities, perhaps including firewood gathering,
have affected the areas. Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius)
and lantana (Lantana camara) are present in the area, but invasion
by exotic plants does not seem to be a principal threat to the cactus.
Habitat Associations - 1 (DRAFT) - Food Habits
Species CACTUS, PRICKLY-APPLE, FRAGRANT
Species Id ESIS704029
Date 13 MAR 96
FOOD HABITS
TROPHIC LEVEL -
AUTOTROPH
Food Habits - 1 (DRAFT) - Environment Associations
Species CACTUS, PRICKLY-APPLE, FRAGRANT
Species Id ESIS704029
Date 13 MAR 96
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOCIATIONS
G = General A = Adult
LIM = Limiting RA = Resting Adult
J = Juvenile FA = Feeding Adult
RJ = Resting Juvenile BA = Breeding Adult
FJ = Feeding Juvenile P = Pupae
L = Larvae E = Egg
RL = Resting Larvae
FL = Feeding Larvae
LIFESTAGE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOCIATIONS
G Coastal Features: Sandy offshore islands
G
G
Environment Associations - 1 (DRAFT) - Life History
Species CACTUS, PRICKLY-APPLE, FRAGRANT
Species Id ESIS704029
Date 13 MAR 96
LIFE HISTORY
HABIT:
Succulent (02,06).
LIFE CYCLE:
Perennial (06).
TYPE OF REPRODUCTION:
Sexual, vegetative (03, 06). Reproduces via seeds (06); stems
may root where they lie on the ground, as with many other cacti
(03,06).
REPRODUCTIVE PHENOLOGY:
Flowering May (07), Fruiting May-October (06,07).
SEX OR SPORE STATUS:
Monoclinous. Flowers perfect; plant hermaphroditic/monoclinous
(02).
POLLINATION, SPORE AND SEED DISSEMINATION:
Night-flowering (02). Moth pollination?
SEED BIOLOGY:
The seeds are possibly eaten and excreted by birds; the
tendency of the cactus to occur within the driplines of shrubs and
trees suggests this (07).
POPULATION BIOLOGY:
The largest known population is on a sand ridge where much of the
vegetation was bulldozed. The population contains numerous plants
10 inches or taller that appear to be seedlings. Most plants bear
several fruit. Some stems in this population appear to have died
due to rot or decay; the fruits appear to attract birds and some
stems have wounds apparently made by woodpeckers (08).
ECOLOGICAL/EDAPHIC FACTORS:
Xeric sands. Appears to be a plant of dry, excessively drained
sites, as are other members of the genus Harrisia (05).
TROPHIC STATUS:
Phototrophic.
CHARACTERISTIC DOMINANCE:
Component of community, never dominant (06).
COMMUNITY ECOLOGY:
The sites occupied by Cereus eriophorus var. fragrans are mostly
disturbed oak-red bay scrub on dry sand dunes. The cactus appears
to establish itself readily in the disturbed areas (08). More
information may become available in the future.
SPECIES INTERRELATIONSHIPS:
Life History - 1 (DRAFT) - Life History
Species CACTUS, PRICKLY-APPLE, FRAGRANT
Species Id ESIS704029
Date 13 MAR 96
Strong positive association of groups of this cactus with
prickly-pear (Opuntia); also tends strongly to occur under the drip
lines of various trees and shrubs (07).
OTHER LIFE HISTORY DESCRIPTORS:
None.
Life History - 2 (DRAFT) - Management Practices
Species CACTUS, PRICKLY-APPLE, FRAGRANT
Species Id ESIS704029
Date 13 MAR 96
MANAGEMENT PRACTICES
RESULT MANAGEMENT PRACTICE
Beneficial Controlling/Restricting Off-Road Vehicles
Beneficial Maintaining undisturbed/undeveloped areas
Beneficial Restricting/regulating human use of habitats
Beneficial Land Acquisition
Beneficial Controlling/Restricting Herbicide Use
Beneficial Reforestation
Beneficial Maintaining Early Stages of Succession
Beneficial Maintaining Sperm/Seed Banks
Beneficial Stocking captive-reared wild-strain animals
Beneficial Transplanting wild animals
Beneficial Transplanting Wild Eggs/Wild Seeds
Beneficial Restricting Poaching
Beneficial Controlling/Restricting Noncommercial Harvest
Beneficial Regulating commercial harvest levels
Adverse Rural Residential/Industrial Areas
Existing Rural Residential/Industrial Areas
Adverse Poaching
Existing Poaching
Adverse Forest Alteration
Existing Forest Alteration
Adverse Harvesting
Existing Harvesting
COMMENTS ON MANAGEMENT PRACTICES -
Loss of habitat to residential development (06). Possibly
illegal take (poaching) (06). The plant was collected on islands in
the Indian River in 1906 (see above); it is possible that the spread
of Casuarina (Australian pine) has deleteriously altered some
habitat--this is speculative.
UNAPPROVED PLAN:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1987. Technical Review Draft.
Recovery Plan for Fragrant Prickly-apple Cactus. U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, Jacksonville Field Office, Jacksonville, Florida.
(manuscript).
A draft recovery plan has been prepared for the fragrant prickly
apple cactus (Cereus eriophorus var. fragrans). The following actions
are recommended for recovery of the cactus:
1. Protect habitat of the cactus by inventorying known
populations; arranging for protection of land through
cooperative agreements with landowners, lease agreements, and
acquisition by conservation organizations or government
agencies; managing protected sites to maintain the cactus
populations by discouraging poachers, preventing entry by
vehicles, and otherwise preventing disturbance; monitoring
Management Practices - 1 (DRAFT) - Management Practices
Species CACTUS, PRICKLY-APPLE, FRAGRANT
Species Id ESIS704029
Date 13 MAR 96
the condition of each protected population regularly.
Monitoring methods must be able to detect changes in the size
of a population. Photography should be appropriate. Search
for additional populations.
2. Augment the existing populations of Cereus eriophorus var.
fragrans by encouraging spontaneous expansion of protected
populations, and by introducing the cactus to appropriate
unoccupied, protected sites.
3. Enforce available protective legislation. The Fish and
Wildlife Service should initiate Section 7 consultation when
applicable. Enforce take and trade prohibitions of state and
Federal law. Utilize available regional and county planning
programs to encourage protection of habitat suitable for the
cactus.
4. Provide public information about Cereus eriophorus var.
fragrans to landowners, governmental agencies, and
conservation organizations.
5. Conserve germplasm through establishment of permanent garden
collections under the auspices of the Center for Plant
Conservation; place seed in long-term storage.
Management Practices - 2 (DRAFT) - References
Species CACTUS, PRICKLY-APPLE, FRAGRANT
Species Id ESIS704029
Date 13 MAR 96
References
***** REFERENCES FOR ALL NARRATIVES EXCEPT N-OCCURRENCE *****
01 Austin, D.F. 1984. Resume of the Florida taxa of Cereus
(Cactaceae). Fla. Sci. 47(1):68-72.
02 Small, J.K. 1932. Harrisia fragrans-fragrant prickly-apple.
Addisonia 17: 29,30, pl. 559.
03 Gibson, A.C. and P.S. Nobel. 1986. The cactus primer. Harvard
University Press, Cambridge, MA. 286 pp.
04 Benson, L. 1969. The cacti of the United States and Canada--new
names and nomenclatural combinations--I. Cactus & Succulents
Jour. 41:126.
05 Correll, D.S. and H.B. Correll. 1982. Flora of the Bahama
Archipelago (including the Turks and Caicos Islands). J. Cramer,
Vaduz. 1692 pp.
06 Austin, D.F. 1980. Endangered and threatened plant species
survey in southern Florida and the National Key Deer and Great
White Heron National Wildlife Refuges, Monroe County, Florida.
Contracted report submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
07 Rae, J.G. 1987. Personal communication. Manager, Savannas State
Reserve, Ft. Pierce, FL.
08 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1987. Technical review draft
of recovery plan for fragrant prickly-apple cactus. U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, Jacksonville Field Office, Jacksonville, Florida.
manuscript.
***** REFERENCES FOR N-OCCURRENCE NARRATIVE ONLY *****
01 Austin, D.F. 1984. Resume of the Florida taxa of Cereus
(Cactaceae). Fla. Sci. 47(1):68-72.
02 Rae, J.G. 1987. Personal communication. Manager, Savannas State
Reserve, Fort Pierce, Florida.
03 Popenoe, J. 1986. Personal communication. Director, Fairchild
Tropical Garden.
04 Benson, L. 1982. The cacti of the United States and Canada.
Stanford University Press, Stanford.
05 Kimnach, M. Personal communication. Henry E. Huntington Botanical
Gardens, San Marino, CA.
References - 1