R. floccosa ssp oreophila N.P. Taylor & D. Zappi

Rhipsalis floccosa Pfeiffer subsp. oreophila N P Taylor & Zappi subsp. nova in CCI 3/1997
Replaced synonym: R. monteazulensis Ritter, Kakt. Sudamer. 1: 42, 282. fig. 17. 1979. Type: Brazil Minas Gerais, mountains east from Monte Azul, 1964, Ritter FR 1247 (SGO 125604, lectotype, designated here; contrary to Ritter’s statement, lc III, the holotype in this instance is not to be found at U, as confirmed by Eggli et al., Englera 16; 504. 1995)

Desc from Hunt 2006.
Branch segments more or less cylyndric, lacking raised podaria; flowers small, ca 12mm diam.

Detail from Cacti of Eastern Brazil, 213. 2004
Ultimate stem-segments to 6 mm thick, almost perfectly cylindrical, without obvious podaria subtending the scale-leaves. Flowers small, to c. 12 mm diam., greenish white. Fruit white, scarcely immersed in stem.

Northern campo rupestre element: epiphytic or epilithic in mata de neblina (capao de mato), campo rupestre, c. 7200-1750 m, Chapada Diamantina and Serra do Espinhaco, Bahia and northern Minas Gerais. Endemic to the core area of Eastern Brazil.

The forms of this species from above 1200 metres in the northern sector of the East Brazilian Highlands (Chapada Diamantina, BA, and northern Serra do Espinhaco, MG) have almost perfectly cylindrical stems devoid of podaria and seem sufficiently distinct to be treated as subspecifically different from those of the lowland forests and Southeastern campos rupestres. They have smaller flowers than plants from the latter area, which are referred to ssp. pulvinigera:

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