My daughter took it-the flash or something makes it look less red, but it's a brilliant warm red.
Epiphyllum blooming
I had to laugh at your note Boojum...I must also make notes for future trades, can't seem to remember them either! Have placed you, Darius, Rose318, & Perennialgirl in my trade tracker for spring epi trades. We'll get in touch then! (did I miss anyone???)
BTW Darius....looks like I may be coming to NC in July. To visit friends in Raleigh.
Too bad Raleigh is so far away... a very looong drive for me, or I'd offer to come and meet you! Horseshoe isn't far from there, though.
Put me on your list too please. I've been drooling over epi photos, oh my, oh my, how pretty.
Donna, have your seeds packed up already-just need to call the PO for postage. That way, you're not on the list anymore! Life is good.
I am looking forward to trade with you in the spring. Kachingirl, Is there anyone else that wants to do a spring swap of epiphyllums? PLMK.
Thanks ,
Patti
I have an idea.....let's start an "Epi Trade Club" thread in spring....that way we may even get more people participating and more variety! We can each list what and how many we have avail and go from there.....probably easier than trying to remember all this or even find this thread again in a few months! I will keep my current list of what we have discussed so these promises for spring get first attention. Whatcha think? :~D
Sound fine with me. Saving thread a reminder.
Patti
The plant that started this thread is actually a Rhipsalis but Joseph @ www.ecology.org couldn't ID it from my pictures so I will send him a cutting in the spring when it won't freeze enroute. He will grow it out and ID it when it blooms, kind of a long process. But we will know eventually. Here is an updated photo that was taken 2 days ago.
Fairy blooms. So species!
I'm drooling and wishing.
:) Donna
The blooms remind me of tiny snowflakes, they are very light and fluffy. I'm looking forward to trades this spring.
Mary, I'm glad Joe is helping you identify your lovely plant. Are the flowers fragrant at all?
Not that I have noticed, but I will check tomorrow.
I think I found the Rhipsalis you have Mary. Here is the site.
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://flowers.bip.ru/encpic_f/cactus/rhipsalis_rhombea.jpg&imgrefurl=http://flowers.bip.ru/ency_f/r.html&h=375&w=275&sz=21&tbnid=ERC2SbAm72gJ:&tbnh=117&tbnw=86&start=79&prev=/images%3Fq%3Drhipsalis%26start%3D60%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26c2coff%3D1%26sa%3DN
I have never paste a site on DG before . I hope I did it right. PLMK if not I will try again. Patti
Please try again. The link didn't come through...
Darius how do you do it? I usually just cut and paste.
Patti
What's the source? If you are copying the URL from the address bar, it should work to copy it and paste. However, sometimes the addresses are just too long and they don't work. Doesn't happen often, but it DOES happen.
Yes thee address was too long. Here is the photo .
What's the whole name, Rose?
oops. Rhipsalis Rhombea.
Thanks!
I just hope I am right. If so Mary I would post the picture in the PDB.
Thanks ,
Patti
The address should have worked. I think you've got the identification right, Patti.
Here are some links:
http://www.rhipsalis.com/species/rhombea.htm
http://www.desert-tropicals.com/Plants/Cactaceae/Rhipsalis_rhombea.html
http://www.cloudjungle.com/epibook/Rhip.html
http://orchids-web.hp.infoseek.co.jp/Rhipsalis/rhombea.htm
I actually think that I have this one, but it hasn't flowered for me yet, and I wasn't able to identify it until now. Here's mine below:
This message was edited Jan 12, 2005 11:30 PM
Wow, lots of information, thank you. I don't believe my blooms have any red color at all, have to go look again when it is light in the greenhouse. I sent the first 2 photos that I posted here to Joseph at the ecology website and he could not make a positive ID from them, so there must be some really subtle differences. I want to have it right before it goes into the Plant Files (formerly PDB). I can't send a cutting anywhere until spring because of cold weather. So, the ID could be quite slow comming. Have patience, gardeners!
Mary, I think they mean the stems turn red in the sun, and when left in the sun, you can see reddish veins. That is true of my plant. I see what you mean now because there is red on the outside of the flower in that picture in that last link whereas yours are pure white.
You are right that yours certainly could be different, but I think it has to be pretty close to Rhipsalis rhombea, which apparently is also called: R. crispata, R. occidentalis, R. pachyptera, R. elliptica, and R. oblonga.
The third link I gave you describes the flowers like this:
"Developing on the sides of these stems are small flowers only 1-centimetre (3/8-inch) long, light yellow at first, turning to canary yellow with age. Later, after the flowers are finished, they develop dark red fruit."
Your flowers look a little bigger than this so you may have a different species or a variant of the same species.
After I read them all, I realized how easy it is to confuse variants of the same plant. They are probably all correct!!
I'm gonna show my ignorance here with terms but here is what I see. Before the buds open the outer covering has a slight blush to it. When the flower opens that covering folds back against the little stem of the bud, and is still a blush but isn't noticeable because the flower has opened back against it. Where all the stamens (?) come out of the center of the flower there is some of that same blush way down in the center. Otherwise the flower is white, not snowy white but kind of creamy. So far they don't seem to change color with age.
MaryE, check out the crispa shots.
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/478640/
I want to know if the stems are four sided? I found a picture in my cacti book.
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Cacti & Other Succulents by two writers that I never heard of. The book was written in Prague and printed in Czechoslovakia 1981 ISPN 0 764 1492 6
Now I don't know if I hit it by accident. I will try to run off the picture that you sent and ask my boss. Norma
I have a Rhipsalis that I found at Home Depot of all places, that I believe may be Crispa http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/478640/
This is what I read about R Crispa in "The Complete Book of Cactus & Succulents" book by Terry Hewitt.
"The edges of the spineless, leaflike stems are often crinkled to differing degrees. The cactus grows slowly, but eventually forms a prostrate or pendant bush. It has small cream flowers. It also states that this species is more difficult that most Rhipsalis to bring to flower. This sounds like what Mary & I both have; plus Mary is doing something right to get hers to flower.
Blessings,
Awanda
Awanda, I think yours and mine are alike, as nearly as I can tell with an amateur's eye. Call it beginner's luck on the blooming. I started the plant in a small jar of water, anchored it by partly filling the jar with pebbles before adding a couple of kind of long calloused over branches that hung down over the windowsill, and plain water. Now and then when I was fertilizing my houseplants it got a bit of liquid fertilizer, an all purpose type. For about a year it sat on my windowsill and grew roots and new leaves until I got the greenhouse and potted it up. I probably just used ordinary potting soil. Now and then it gets some weak liquid fertilizer and when it looks dry I water it. The plant to pot ratio is looking uneven now, but maybe it is one that has to be potbound before it will bloom. On the other hand, a plant that lives in the crotch of a tree in the jungle doesn't have a pot, probably can put the roots anyplace it wants, and doesn't get as much sun as mine, so that makes me wonder about everything! You see what I mean about beginner's luck. If you look at the first photo I posted of it with just a few blooms you can see that the edges of some of the leaves got crispy and black from excessive sun this summer.
Norma, the stems are all flat. The oldest ones have a pronounced center but it is round like a twig with the leaft part on both sides.
This message was edited Jan 15, 2005 12:25 PM
Mary the reason I don't think it a Epi is because they don't flower this time of year, but Rhipsalis do. The flower is not of an Epi either, but looks like a Rhipsalis. I'm, voting with Awanda, Norma
What ever it is.....I'm still jealous....lol!
:) Donna
Also I'm sorry but it is not a R. rhombea .
R. rhombea has very crinkled leaves, deep green leaves, and will have red edged lobes. I have both plants so I can compare. I just need to flowr them. Norma
Also I'm sorry but it is not a R. rhombea .
R. rhombea has very crinkled leaves, deep green leaves, and will have red edged lobes. I have both plants so I can compare. I just need to flower them. Norma
It's the Mystery Plant for sure. It might be a while before we know what it is.
I have tried to find this plant in books or on the net for 10 years now and haven't found it for sure yet. I do love this plant though as at our house it can take very low light and some neglect although I have never gotten a bloom from it. Over the years I have shared pieces of it with lots of people and Mary is the first that has gotten blooms as far as I know. Looks like she did right by the plant and it is rewarding her.
Lani
This link has Rhipsalis rhombea, Rhipsalis crispata, and Rhipsalis pachyptera listed as separate species: see page 35 of this link: http://store.cactuscollection.com/library/products.aspx
Thanks Clare_ca for the wonderful site. I added it to my favorites.
Patti