Rhipsalis hoelleri
- Holotype: Brazil, Espírito Santo, (?) Mun. Domingos Martins, 1987, B. Orssich s.n. (B: 81 0013691)
- Paratype: Brazil, Espírito Santo, (?) Mun. Domingos Martins, 1987, B. Orssich s.n. (K)
- 1. Korotkova, N., Borsch, T., Quandt, D., Taylor, N. P., Müller, K. & Barthlott, W. 2011: What does it take to resolve relationships and to identify species with molecular markers? An example from the epiphytic Rhipsalideae (Cactaceae). – American Journal of Botany 98(9): 1549-1572. http://doi.org/10.3732/ajb.1000502
Notes
Note in protologue:
This remarkable new species is closely related to R. puniceodiscus, which apart from some-what thinner stems, it strongly resembles in vegetative characters. It is the only species of Rhipsalis with intense carmine red flowers (superficially similar to those of the Bolivian Lepismium crenatum [Lymanbensonia crenata]), and these are presumed to be an adaptation for pollination by hummingbirds. It was first collected and cultivated by the Iate Countess Orssich, who could not recall the precise locality details. It was sent to Bonn and has been in cultivation there since 1988, mainly flowering in Spring (April) and ripening its fruits slowly, these maturing by October. It is to be hoped that the species will be relocated in the field and its ecological data recorded.A
Distribution (General)
Brazil: S Espírito Santo, known only from the original collection.A
Diagnosis
A Rhipsalidi puniceodisco floribus rubris vix expansis differt. A
Description
Pendulous, up to 150 cm long; branching mesotonic to acrotonic. Stems terete, only 3-4 mm diam., of indeterminate growth and lacking terminal composite areoles (vegetatively almost inseparable from thin forms of R. puniceodiscus). Flower-buds erumpent; flowers c. 10 mm diam., perianth-segments, style and stigma-lobes intense carmine red, stamens colourless. Fruit subglobose, 8 mm diam., not translucent, dull olive-reddish when immature, ripening to intense tomato red; when detached leaving an obvious scar on the stem.A
Etymology
The epithet honours Gartenmeister Werner Höller, expert cultivator of Rhipsalideae at the Botanischer Garten der Universität Bonn.
Descriptions (aggregated)
Old stem segment duration: deciduous [1]; stem width: 0.4 cm [1]; stem shape: terete [1] entire plant habitat: epiphytic [1]; entire plant orientation: pendent [1]; entire plant branching: acrotonic [1]; entire plant pubescence: glabrous [1] flower quantity per areol contemporaneously: 1 [1]; flower coloration: red [1], magenta [1]; flower architecture: actinomorphic [1]; flower position: subapical [1], lateral [1]; flower size qualitativ: small [1]; flower size quantitativ: 10 mm [1] areole prominence: superficial [1] fruit coloration: red [1]; fruit shape: subglobose [1] bud orientation: oblique [1]
A single or the first number in square brackets denotes sample size
Bibliography
A. Barthlott, W. & Taylor, N. P. 1995: Notes towards a monograph of Rhipsalideae (Cactaceae). – Bradleya 13: 43-79. http://doi.org/10.25223/brad.n13.1995.a7