L. houlletianum (Lemaire) Barthlott in Bradleya 5 (1987)


L. houlletianum (Kew Botanic Garden, copyright KAF 6/2006)

Rhipsalis houlletii Lemaire in Curtis’s Bot Mag 100, pl 6089. 1874
Rhipsalis regnellii Lindberg, Gartenflora. 39: 119. 1889 ( now forma)
Hariota houlletiana Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. 1: 263. 1891
Desc from B&R 1923

Plant - stems 1 to 2 meters long, slender, terete below but flat and broad above.
Branches - flat and thin, 1 to 5 cm. broad, tapering into a petiole-like base; margin serrate.
Flowers - numerous, bell-shaped with a red eye.
Petals - cream-colored, turning pale yellow, lanceolate, acute;
Stamens - numerous.
Ovary - not sunken in the branch, strongly 4 to 5-angled.
Fruit - not angled, globose, red, 5 to 6 mm. in diameter.
Type locality - Not cited.

Note from B&T Bradleya 13: This species is well-known and easily recognized, though rather variable in its dimensions, form and colour (stem margins usually serrate, rarely_crenate, teeth curved or straight; epidermis dull dark olive green to glaucous; flowers funnel-shaped to almost campanulate; fruit red to black).

Its reported occurrence in Bolivia (Yungas;) needs to be confirmed. 

forma houlletianum
DISTRIBUTION. Brazil (Minas Gerais, Espirito Santo?, Rio de Janeiro, Sno Paulo, Parana, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul), Argentina (Misiones): forest epiphyte, near sea level to 1900 m altitude.

This form has reddish bases to the stamens, giving the flower a coloured throat.

forma regnellii (G.A. Lindberg) Barthlott & N P Taylor 1995

This form has plain creamy flowers, the stamens lacking reddish coloration.

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