Rhipsalis houlletiana

Rhipsalis houlletiana

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Description: Lepismium houlletiana (Rhipsalis houlletiana) is a very popular free-flowering, copiously-branched epiphyte, with long arching stems often reaching more than 1.5 metres in length. The older stems are stiff and cylindrical, only about 0.5 cm thick, but the the joints are leaf-like and are often referred to as leaves. These flattened stems are slender and leathery, pale fresh green in colour and sometimes tinged reddish. They are up to 20 cm long and just about 3 cm wide, the margins roughly toothed. Lepismium houlletiana is one of the most reliable for flowers and the stems may produce a mass of creamy-white flowers, very faintly tinged with yellow. This form has reddish bases to the stamens, giving the flower a coloured throat and blossoms at almost any time of the year with red fruit to follow. The bell-shaped flowers are 1.5-2 cm long and nodding, and the common name of snowdrop cactus is fully justified. This species is well-known and easily recognized, though rather variable in its dimensions, form and colour.

Derivation of specific name: The species was named in honour of its discoverer M. Houlletia (1811-1890), French physician and botanist who imported this species from eastern Brazil.

Stems: Shrubby, 1 to 2 meters long, slender, initially cylindrical, terete, 2-5 mm in diameter below, but flat, and broad above. Branches lanceolate, leaf-like, thin, 10-20 cm long, 1-5 cm broad and 2-3 mm thick, tapering into a petiole-like base, pale fresh green becoming dull dark olive green to glaucous; margin usually serrate (deeply saw-toothed), rarely crenate, teeth 20-30 mm long and 10 mm high, curved or straight.

Areoles: The areoles, from which the flowers are produced, are in the notches between the teeth. They are about 1-2 mm long, white tomentose without bristles or spines.

Flowers: Numerous at practically every areole and all open at once, pendulous, 1.5-2 cm, actinomorphic (radially symmetrical), broadly funnel-shaped to almost campanulate with a red eye. Outer perianth segments narrowly lanceolate, pointed, externally yellowish cream. Inner perianth segments broadly lanceolate, rounded to acute, cream-colored, turning pale yellow, up to 12 mm long. Stamens numerous cream coloured with reddish bases, anthers and stigma yellow. Ovary not sunken in the branch, shortly cylindrical, about 3 mm long, strongly 4 to 5-angled. Floral tube very short. Flower-buds squarish or pentagonal.

Blooming season: It may bloom several times almost in every month of the year depending on growing conditions.

Fruits (berries): Not angled, globose, juicy, translucent, red, dark red or black, 5 to10 mm in diameter.

http://www.llifle.com/Encyclopedia/CACTI/Family/Cactaceae/4573/Rhipsalis_houlletiana