Condition of a population of Consolea Millspaughii subsp. Millspaughii (Cactaceae) in Cayo Paredón Grande, Cuba

Abstract

Of the genus Consolea, the species Consolea millspaughii subsp. millspaughii is critically endangered for Cuba. This paper characterized the state of a population of this species, in cayo Paredón Grande. For this, tours were made to the West extreme of the key, in November, 2022. For each observed individual was taken its geographic location and morphological characteristics were determined. Characteristics of the surrounding vegetation were also taken into account. 46 individuals were counted, of them, 41 juveniles and only five adults. Most of the individuals presented damages, apparently induced by a phytopathogen. These damages were observed in other cactus species in the study site. The mean height of juvenile individuals was 27.0 ± 12 cm. The height at the first branch was 20 ± 10 cm. The mean number of cladodes was 2.3. The mean height of the adult individuals was 53.7 ± 29 cm. The height at the first branch was 35±7 cm. The mean number of cladodes was 4.8. The surrounding vegetation had an approximate height of 2 m. The individuals were between 60 and 70 m from the shoreline. The population of C. millspaughii subsp. Millspaughii, in Cayo Paredón Grande, shows signs of damage, which could be due to the construction development taking place in the area. Monitoring of this and other possible populations must continue to guarantee micropropagation, as a tool to rescue those species in the face of the critical danger in Cuba.