Schlumbergera orssichiana
| Schlumbergera orssichiana | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Core eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Cactaceae |
| Subfamily: | Cactoideae |
| Tribe: | Rhipsalideae |
| Genus: | Schlumbergera |
| Species: | S. orssichiana |
| Binomial name | |
|
Schlumbergera orssichiana Barthlott & McMillan |
|
Schlumbergera orssichiana is a species of plant in the Cactaceae family. It is endemic to a small area of the coastal mountains of south-eastern Brazil where its natural habitat is moist forest. It grows on trees as an epiphyte. It is in the same genus as the popular houseplant known as Christmas Cactus or Thanksgiving Cactus.
Schlumbergera orssichiana resembles other species of the genus Schlumbergera in that it has leafless green stems which act as photosynthetic organs. The stems (cladodes) are composed of strongly flattened segments, which have "teeth" of varying shapes along their edges, where there are generally two to three, and at the ends. Individual segments are large, 5–7.5 cm (2.0–3.0 in) long by 3.2–4.5 cm (1.3–1.8 in) wide.
Special structures characteristic of cacti, called "areoles", occur at the end of the segments. The areoles are where the flower buds appear. The large flowers, which open widely, are held at a slight angle to the vertical, with the higher side somewhat different from the lower side (slightly zygomorphic). They usually appear pinkish in overall colour, as the individual tepals shade from white at the centre to red at the tips. Each flower is about 9 cm (3.5 in) long by 9 cm (3.5 in) across. The inner petals are fused at the base to form a short "floral tube", about 10 mm (0.4 in) long, at the base of which nectar is present. The species can be in flower up to three times a year (August, November and March in cultivation in the Northern Hemisphere).
The many stamens are arranged in two series, which is a distinctive characteristic of the genus. The inner stamens are fused at the base to form a short tubular structure. The outer stamens arise from along the floral tube. Each is about 5.5–6.5 cm (2.2–2.6 in) long, with white filaments and yellow anthers and pollen. The style is dark red and has a stigma with 6–8 lobes; the style plus stigma is roughly the same length as the stamens. If the flower is fertilized, a fleshy fruit forms which is greenish yellow to cream with five or six ribs. The dark brown seeds are about 1 mm in diameter.
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Wikipedia