Epiphyllum phyllanthus, commonly known as the climbing cactus is a species of epiphytic

Epiphyte

An epiphyte is a plant that grows upon another plant non-parasitically or sometimes upon some other object , derives its moisture and nutrients from the air and rain and sometimes from debris accumulating around it, and is found in the temperate zone and in the...

 cacti. It has no leaves, instead having stems that photosynthesise. It is thought to be pollinated by hawkmoths, as the flowers only open at night and produce a strong fragrance.

It is the most common epiphyte on the tree, Platypodium elegans

Platypodium elegans

Platypodium elegans or the graceful platypodium is a large leguminous tree found in the Neotropics that forms part of the forest canopy. It was first described by Julius Rudolph Theodor Vogel in 1837 and is the type species of the genus. The tree has been known to grow up to 30 metres in...

, particularly growing in cavities in the trunk.

External links

• Epiphyllum phyllanthus at Discover Life, including photographs.