Harrisia aboriginum

Harrisia aboriginum

Critically Imperiled  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Cactaceae
Subfamily: Cactoideae
Genus: Harrisia
Species:
H. aboriginum
Binomial name
Harrisia aboriginum
Small ex Britton & Rose
Synonyms
  • Cereus aboriginum (Small ex Britton & Rose) Little 1945
  • Cereus gracilis var. aboriginum (Small ex Britton & Rose) L.D.Benson 1969
  • Harrisia fragrans subsp. aboriginum (Small ex Britton & Rose) Guiggi 2020
  • Harrisia gracilis var. aboriginum (Small ex Britton & Rose) D.B.Ward 2004

Harrisia aboriginum, the west-coast prickly apple or prickly applecactus, is a species of columnar cactus endemic to peninsular Florida, on the Gulf Coast of the counties of Lee, Sarasota County, and Charlotte. Only 12 occurrences are known, and the species is threatened by horticultural collection, shading from fire suppression, competition from invasive flora, and most of all habitat destruction. It is a federally listed endangered species of the United States.