See Calvente thesis 2010
7.2. Rhipsalis micrantha subsp. monticola (Barthlott) Calvente, stat. nov.
Rhipsalis kirbergii var monticola Barthlott, Trop. Subtrop. Pflanzenwelt 10: 15. 1974 .-TYPE: Barthlott, Trop. Subtrop. Pflanzenwelt 10: Abb. 8. 1974 (lectotype, here designated); ECUADOR. Loja: Catamayo, estrada Catamayo-Catacocha, Jan 2008, Calvente 383 (epitype, here designated: QCNE!; isoepitype: SPF, QCA, LOJA, K,
RB, NY).

• Epiphyte, terrestrial or lithophyte in open and sunny habitat, 0.7 m long, branching apical, sub-apical, rare lateral.
• Stem segments flattened, cylindric to quadrangular in longitudinal section, ca. 3 mm diam, olive green sometimes with pinkish margin, succulent to stiff and woody at more basal segments, dimorphic, midrib 3-5 mm diam, with shape not evidently marked (hidden by stem succulence); primary stem segments 15-25 cm long, cylindric to 4-winged, wings 0-0.3 cm wide; secondary stem segments 6-20 cm long, base and apex truncate; wings 3-4(-5), 0.3-0.5(-0.6) cm wide, margin crenate, plane, with 1-3 mm projections.
• Areoles between margin projections, 2.5-5.3 cm apart, first of segment 1-2 cm distant from segment base; when sterile 2-3 mm diam, glabrous or with 1 acicular scale; when fertile 3 mm diam, glabrous, with 1(-2) flowers/fruits.
• Flowers unknown. Fruit 7 X 5-6 mm, globoid, elongate, whitish, glabrous.

Figure 7: C.

Notes; Barthlott linked R. micrantha subsp. monticola to R. kirbergii (= R. micrantha subsp. tonduzii) because of the shared multi-winged stems. However, R. micrantha subsp. monticola is endemic to Loja (southern Ecuador) and well-characterized by the succulent, curved, stout and 4-5-winged stems. R. micrantha subsp. monticola is further characterized by the basal stem segments with areoles including up to 10 bristle-like, long acicular scales (ca. 3 mm long), and greenish to reddish immature fruits.

Habitat and distribution: Occurs in Loja region (Ecuador) in mostly dry (with daily fluctuations of fog), open formations of higher altitude, ranging from 1300-2300 m. Figures 8, 9.

Rhipsalis kirbergii var. monticola Barthlott. Trop. und Subtrop. Pflanzv. 10 p15 (1974)
Treated as a synonym of R. micrantha f. kirbergii by Supplie 1993
Desc from Trop. und Subtrop Pflanzv. 10 p.15 (1974)
Differs from type by
Thicker, 8 – 11mm broad branches, its dirty olive green epidermis and its spreading , overhanging growth; its insignificant flowers do not show any difference from the type.

Grows on rocks and in dense bush ca. 5km south of Loja (South Ecuador) at a (for Rhipsalis) unusual altitude of 2000m, in company with big tillandsias from the T. fendleri group and also T. straminea.