''Leuenbergeria quisqueyana'', commonly known as the Bayahibe rose, is a species of

cactus A cactus (, or less commonly, 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 Gree ...

that is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

to the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, in the

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on 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 ...

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''.

Description

''Leuenbergeria quisqueyana'' is a dioecious cactus that resembles a shrub and reaches up to 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 In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

includes

Hispaniolan dry forests The Hispaniolan dry forests are a tropical dry broadleaf forest ecoregion on the island of Hispaniola (split between the Dominican Republic and Haiti). They cover , around 20% of the island's area. Geography The dry forests are found mostly on ...

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 Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

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.

References

Cacti Endemic flora of the Dominican Republic National symbols of the Dominican Republic Plants described in 1980 Dioecious plants Taxobox binomials not recognized by IUCN {{Cactus-stub