Xerophyte

Seeds

c. 1.2 × 0.7 mm, smooth, dark brown to black.

Description

Rhipsalis floccosa is an epiphytic or lithophytic perennial cactus, at first erect, becoming pendent, up to 1 metre long or more, by 50 cm in spread. The stems are thin, leaf1ess, unarmed, cylindrical, dull greyish-green, 5-6 mm across, and branching less than many other Rhipsalis species. The growth is determinate, branching is strictly acrotonic, that is to say that it prefer to send sap to buds near the top of the plant. The plant thus grows upwards, and low side branches naturally prune. It has masses of greenish white to very pale pink flowers in early summer, then pinkish-white fruits. It is a variable species divided into slightly differing geographical forms or subspecies, (previously described as species under different names). Six subspecies are recognized, the nominate form, subsp. hohenauensis (F.Ritter) Barthlott & N.P.Taylor, subsp. oreophila N.P.Taylor & Zappi, subsp. pittieri (Britton & Rose) Barthlott & N.P.Taylor , subsp. pulvinigera (G. Lindb.) Barthlott & N.P.Taylor and subsp. tucumanensis (F.A.C.Weber) Barthlott & N.P.Taylor.

Note

Latin 'Floccosus (-a, -um)'. Having wool-like tufts.

Flowers

Flower-buds solitary from sunken areoles near the stem apices but never terminal rupturing the surface and surrounded by a tuft of wool. Flowers c. 8 mm long, 6-15(-20) mm broad, greenish white to creamy white, at times tinged with reddish, surrounded by abundant creamy white. Ovary sunken in the branch, 2.5-3 × 3-3.5 mm, obconic, naked, greenish brown. Perianth-segments 12-15, more of less erect, margins fimbriate, outermost 3-3.5 mm long, 4 mm broad, spathulate, greenish white tipped brownish, inner segments 5-6 mm long, 3-3,5 mm wide, ovate, white. Stamens c. 40 about 2 mm long, anthers 0.4 mm long. Style ca. 3.5 mm long, stigma-lobes 4, about 1 mm long, exceeding anthers, whitish.

Blooming Season

Winter to early summer.

Stem

Base woody up to 1.2 cm in diameter. Segments slender, alternate, round in cross section, to angled especially when the branches are dry, often with raised podaria subtending the scale leaves, 4-25(-35) cm long, 5 to 8(-10) mm in diameter, erect at first, becoming pendent, green to dull grey-green but sometimes tinged with red or purple near the areoles. Seedlings and juvenile plants with angled, conspicuously areolate bristly joints.

Fruits

Globose to turbinate-globose, 5-10 mm in diameter, nearly white or tinged pinkish-red at apex, somewhat translucent, with or without erect, light brown perianth remains.

Areoles

Sunken, woolly felted, without bristles.