Rhipsalideae
Encyclopedia
The Rhipsalideae are a small tribe of cacti
, comprising four genera. They grow on trees (epiphyte
s) or on rocks (lithophyte
s), where they either hang down or form creeping or upright shrubs. Their flowers open in the day and remain open at night; they may be either radially symmetrical (regular) or bilaterally symmetrical (zygomorphic). The fruits are berry-like, fleshy with smallish seeds.
They are found mainly in the east of South America, but some species occur in Central America and North America; one species, Rhipsalis baccifera, also occurs in the Old World.
The genera included in the tribe are:
Cactus
A cactus is a member of the plant family Cactaceae. Their distinctive appearance is a result of adaptations to conserve water in dry and/or hot environments. In most species, the stem has evolved to become photosynthetic and succulent, while the leaves have evolved into spines...
, comprising four genera. They grow on trees (epiphyte
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...
s) or on rocks (lithophyte
Lithophyte
Lithophytes are a type of plant that grows in or on rocks. Lithophytes feed off moss, nutrients in rain water, litter, and even their own dead tissue....
s), where they either hang down or form creeping or upright shrubs. Their flowers open in the day and remain open at night; they may be either radially symmetrical (regular) or bilaterally symmetrical (zygomorphic). The fruits are berry-like, fleshy with smallish seeds.
They are found mainly in the east of South America, but some species occur in Central America and North America; one species, Rhipsalis baccifera, also occurs in the Old World.
The genera included in the tribe are:
- HatioraHatioraHatiora Britton & Rose is a small genus of epiphytic cacti which belongs to the tribe Rhipsalideae within the subfamily Cactoideae of the Cactaceae...
BrittonNathaniel Lord BrittonNathaniel Lord Britton was an American botanist and taxonomist who founded the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, New York. Britton was born in New Dorp in Staten Island, New York...
& RoseJoseph Nelson RoseJoseph Nelson Rose was an American botanist. He was born in Union County, Indiana. His father died serving during the Civil War when Joseph Rose was a young boy. He later graduated from high school in Liberty, Indiana.... - LepismiumLepismiumLepismium is a genus of mostly epiphytic cacti, with a dozen species. They are found in tropical South America.-Synonymy:The following genera have been brought into synonymy with this genus:*Acanthorhipsalis Britton & Rose...
Pfeiff. - RhipsalisRhipsalisRhipsalis is a genus of epiphytic cacti. They are typically known as mistletoe cacti. The scientific name derives from the Ancient Greek term for wickerwork, referring to the plants' habitus. Rhipsalis is one is part of the tribe Rhipsalideae within the subfamily Cactoideae of the Cactaceae...
Gaertn. - SchlumbergeraSchlumbergeraSchlumbergera is a genus of cactus from the coastal mountains of south-eastern Brazil. Plants grow on trees or rocks in habitats which are generally shady with high humidity and can be quite different in appearance from their desert-dwelling cousins...
Lem.