Xerophyte

Habit

Plants shrubby or tree-like, 2-4 metres tallStems. Trunks to 25 cm in diameter, greenish brown to brown, smooth covered by numerous clusters of spines sprouting from the areoles.

Leaves

Elliptic to obovate lance shaped, succulent, glossy green, 3-5 cm long, 2.5-3 cm broad, with petioles.

Roots

Main root thickened, spindle-shaped, 20-30 cm long, and 5-10 cm in diameter.

Note

This plant was named quisqueyana, in honor of the Dominican Republic, which is also referred to as Quisqueya by the Taínos on the island of Haiti (Hispaniola).

Flowers

Very showy, salmon pink sprouting from the terminal part of the branches. Uni-sexual, 5-7 cm in diameter. Flowering was observed (in Dominican Republic) in March and July. Grafted in other pereskias it may bloom all year.

Spines

0-4 on twigs, 1-1.5 cm long, yellow, straw-coloured or brown. As many as 120 on trunks, 2-6 cm long.

Fruits

Globose to pear-shaped, usually larger than longer, yellowish-green when ripe and containing many black seeds.

Areoles

Producing only spines (not leaves).