Okay, What's the Difference?

Between these:

Rhipsalidopsis
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/54384/index.html

Schlumbergera
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/1510/index.html
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/88210/index.html

Darius, someone who knows these better and who has access to a classification table will be able to tell you. For one thing, there are two different species, gaertneri and truncata, and one hybrid, x buckleyi. Since Rhipsalidopsis has a genus synonym of Schlumbergera, I wonder if it was once considered Schlumbergera but was separated into a new class of Rhipsalidopsis due to some unique indentifying characteristic.

Don't go getting all technical on me here!

Why not ask about Hatiora also? LOL (Many references have gone with this "new" name, to which the Rhips have been moved.)

Remember when Schlumbergera were called Zygocactus?

Here's one of many reference pages, many of which contain conflicting info:
http://www2.ville.montreal.qc.ca/jardin/en/info_verte/feuillet_cactus_epi/genres.htm

Another:
http://www.epiuniverse.com/modules.php?name=Epi_Species

Desert Tropicals:
http://www.desert-tropicals.com/Plants/Cactaceae/Schlumbergera.html
http://www.desert-tropicals.com/Plants/Cactaceae/Rhipsalidopsis.html

So, if I wanted to add one of my plants to the PF, it's mainly a guessing game?

There is a post from PotEmUp (George) around here somewhere......very good image of the differences in the leaves. I'm not sure all the one in the PlantFiles are in the right places, but I think if we can find his picture it would be easy enough to put yours in the right place. I thought I had bookmarked it, but have misplaced it. :-)


OK, I found George's thread and image. :-) Scroll down a bit within the thread

http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/404468/

And here's his image:

http://davesgarden.com/forums/fp.php?pid=1169208

Candy, thanks for the plug. My thread with the all in one was moved recently to http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/471314/ I am just an amateur, but I love these things. I currently have two in bloom, a deep red and a dayglow pink. They were very late this year.
George

George, those are lovely. I hopefully now I can ID mine from the info on your ID thread!

Thanks for stopping in to help us out George! Bummer on the weather this year isn't it?

Mine are also very late this year, my "Easter" cactus turned into a "Memorial Day" cactus. :-)
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/502957/

Stop in again when you have a chance!

Great info, George, thanks! Mine usually blooms in December, and from the look of the leaves, it appears to be Christmas Cactus. This picture was taken on December 1, 2003.

Edited to fix obvious date error!

This message was edited Jun 10, 2005 11:49 AM

This one was pretty close to Christmas on 12-22-04.

Clare, what a corner you have there! Always something of interest to draw the eye....if not one of the lovely bloomers, the great Plectranthus foliage or the sweet angel pedastal. I love it!!! :-)

-Julie

Thanks, Julie. You are sweet to notice that. Sometimes, I am lucky to have a nice background when I take a picture, but other times, I actually have to move the item to a nice background if I'm not being lazy that day. Here's a nice shot that I like of a Passiflora flower resting on my Christmas Cactus, which has red leaves from sun/cold exposure:

definitely a lovely color contrast :-)

By the way, is it an angel/cherub or just a naked little baby? LOL

-Julie

ROFL! I think it is supposed to be a cherub, but it looks more like just a naked little baby! LOLOL!

Naked babies are good :-)

One main difference between Schlumbergera and Zygocactus is that the true Schlumbergera has peloric flowers.

Peloric flowers can be divided in half on any axis and both sides of the flower will mirror each other. Zygocactus flowers can only be divided on one axis to have both sides mirror each other. There has been so much hybridization that you will be hard-pressed to find a "real" un-hybridized Schlumbergera (Christmas Cactus). If you know anyone with a really old plant, more-than-likely, this is a true Schlumbergera. Schlumbergera leaves also have rounded edges whereas zygocactus leaves are more pointed. Zygocactus blooms earlier than Schlumbergera, too.

Zygocactus (Thanksgiving cactus) is the easiest to bloom since this plant requires the shortest period of cool/dark to set flowers.

Schlumbergera (Christmas cactus) is next easiest to bloom, but requires a longer cool/dark period to set buds and...

Rhipsalidopsis (Easter cactus) is the most difficult to bloom since this plant requires the longest cool/dark period to set buds.
Mike
(former Succulent fanatic)

"former"?? How did you cure your addiction?

NoH2O.....who wants to? LOL

Thanks, Mike. Great information:-)

Well, I should have put "former" into quotes in the message above. I still love succulents and I still have quite a few, but I'm not actively adding to my collection any longer (I've been concentrating on dwarf conifers and trees lately). I mainly grow haworthias under fluorescent lights since they don't mind when the "Sahara" (I get too busy to water) stops by for a visit. (:o)
Mike

I stumbled on this message and have a similar ID question for you all. I checked George's photos, but still can't decide what my plant is. The plant tag (one of them) said 'schlumbergera.' Please don't think I torture my plants -- this one has been in the house for years and just got too big. When I moved it outdoors, it lost over half its leaves and is now just settling in.

Now, to confuse things even more, in the beginning I had two and I put them in the same pot. One bloomed early and one bloomed late. I assume there is an Easter bit in there, since it is now setting buds. But it doesn't look like George's 'Easter' picture! So what do you suppose I have?

Thanks,
Kathleen

P.S. Can anyone tell me what the cocoon type thing on the left is? I've been trying to photograph one and just saw it in this pic. They're all over our place and I hope they are beneficial somethings. :-)

Kathleen,

It looks like all of the plants in your photo have the deep pointed "claws" and are therefore Schlumbergera truncata. Mine have bloomed as early as Halloween and as late as Christmas.
Thanksgiving Cactus (Schlumbergera truncata) has pointed claws (hence lobster claw cactus.)
Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera bridgesii) does not have the pointed claws, but the indent is more pronounced than with Easter Cactus.
Easter Cactus (Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri) has no teeth on leaves or jointed stems, and has little "hairs" at the joints. Some of mine are reddish on the edges, others are all green.

George

It may be my old eyes, but I don't see any cocoon type thing.

George, try this one. It's that wispy looking thing in front of the red wood.

Kathleen, that just looks like a spider's web to me.

Really? I've only ever seen round spider webs -- but then I'm new at gardening! Duh...now I really feel dumb.
Thanks, Clare, I'll just go hide my head under the pillow now. LOL

Oh, no, don't feel dumb. It's not dumb at all. It looks like it could be the leftover dinner of some spider, maybe wrapped up with some debris. I seem to get a lot of spiders on my epi's. It also could very well be a place to hatch babies, like a cocoon as you said.

Clare,

What I found curious was that they are all over the place. Wherever there are two plants close together, those darn things are there -- exactly the same. I've never seen a spider hanging around, either. Guess I'll post the photo on the Pest forum.

Let us know what you find out. I think your first instinct was right -- that it is a place to hatch baby spiders.

Just an interesting side note -- my Thanksgiving cactus (George said so!) bloomed today. :-) Now that's what I call one confused plant.

k

Yeah, things seem to be blooming at strange times. My big Christmas cactus bloomed profusely in May this year.

That's even worse! lol Maybe we should ask Dave for a plant therapy forum.

LOL.