Leuenbergeria quisqueyana

Leuenbergeria quisqueyana
Conservation status
Critically Endangered  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Cactaceae
Genus:	Leuenbergeria
Species:	L. quisqueyana
Binomial name
Leuenbergeria quisqueyana (Alain) Lodé
Synonyms
Pereskia quisqueyana Alain

Leuenbergeria quisqueyana, known as the Bayahibe rose,[2] is a species of cactus that is endemic to the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, in the Dominican Republic.[3]

Taxonomy

The species was discovered by the French botanist Henri Alain Liogier in 1977 as Pereskia quisqueyana, the description being published in 1980. He named it quisqueyana, in honor of the Dominican Republic, which is also referred to natively as Quisqueya.[4]

Description

Leuenbergeria quisqueyana[5] 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 L. quisqueyana is pink in color and blooms from the ends of its branches. Its fruits are yellow and contain black seeds.

Distribution and habitat

L. quisqueyana is one of only several cactus species which possess leaves. Its natural habitat includes Hispaniolan dry forests that are found on the southeastern coast of Hispaniola, particularly around the town of Bayahibe, its namesake. It is critically endangered due to habitat loss.[6]

National symbol

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.[7]

References

1. Gann, G.D. & Griffith, P. (2013). "Pereskia quisqueyana". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2013: e.T151927A577173. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T151927A577173.en. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
2. "Bayhaibe Rose". Bayahibe Village. Retrieved 2022-08-13.
3. PUCMM. "Pereskia Quisqueyana" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2011-05-26. Retrieved 2010-09-24.
4. "Flores en Casa de Campo # 9: Rosa de Bayahibe" (in Spanish). Casa de Campo Living. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
5. "Pereskia y Leuenbergeria" (in Spanish). José E. Marcano M. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
6. "Leuenbergeria quisqueyana (Alain) Lodé". Encyclopedia of living forms. 2012-12-28. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
7. Govierno de la República Dominicana (2011). "Ley No. 146-11 que designa al árbol de la caoba como Árbol Nacional y la rosa de Bayahíbe como Flor Nacional de la República Dominicana". Biblioteca Virtual de Educación Ambiental (in Spanish). Retrieved 11 January 2023.