Rhipsalis elliptica var helecoidea

Rhipsalis elliptica var helicoidea Loefgren 1918

Treated as R elliptica by B&T in Bradleya 13
Desc from Backeberg 1977

Body. shrubby, branching, hanging, over 1.5 m long;

Shoots smaller than type, more terete, always contorted around the axis, green at first, later coppery-red.

Areoles sparsely felty, sometimes with 1 bristle

Flowers .lateral, 8-9 mm long., white;

Ovary. more or less angular, without scales ;

Fruit. pink, spherical.

Habitat Brazil ( Rio de Janeiro: Ilha Grande).

R. elliptica var. hellicoidea Lofgren is another suspicious species. It was described in 1918 by Loefgren, but Rose later failed to recognize it as a variety of R. elliptica Lindberg. Backeberg, however, recognized this species, but did not cite a reference. Perhaps his belief rested on Lofgren's 1918 illustrations and descriptions but its existence still seems questionable. Innes (personal communication, 1977) noted that it is very similar to R. chloroptera, a name rejected by Barthlott (personal communication,1977b).