Now treated as a synonym of Rhipsalis micrantha subsp tonduzii according to a thesis by Alice Calvente.

R. micrantha forma kirbergii (Barthlott) Süpplie1993  
(synonyn: tonduzii)

R. tonduzii, 24a, KAF

Desc from Trop. Subtrop. Pflanzenw. 10: 11 (1974)

Plant - epiphytic, bushy, hanging to 2m long, branching from the tip and regularly in a whorl.
Branches
- 5 angled, mostly 4 angled, sometimes 6 angled, sharp ribbed, side branches 4 - 7 mm thick, 18 - 30 cm long with yearly determinate growth.
Branch covering - pale green, vesicles ca. 50m wide and 200 m long, with smooth surface area. Stomata not sunk.
Areoles - very small, without bristles and with barely visible tomentum, not sunken; New shoots with a very small deciduous leaf.
Flowers - Simple, lateral on the side branch, whitish hence shiny, radial, 6 - 8 mm Æ and 6 - 8 mm long.

Perianth-segments - 5 - 7, the inner ones 4.5 mm long and to 2.5 mm wide.
Style - erect, ca. 4 mm long, with mostly 4 spreading papillose lobes. At the base of the style is a whitish disk.
Stamens - 25 - 35, 2 - 3 mm long. Anthers white small.
Pericarp - light green, not sunken, bare, except for a single scale.
Fruit - a globose naked berry, 5 mm thick and 6 mm long, dirty white often reddish overlay.
Type locality - Epiphytic on old trees ca. 10 km north of Chone, Province of Manabi, West Ecuador at 200m altitude

DISTRIBUTION A form of more arid habitats with long-pendulous, 4-6 ribbed/angled stem-segments, and occurring both in Ecuador and Costa Rica, from sea level to 2000m altitude.

Synonym "tonduzii" from Costa Rica.

(flower R. kirbergii KAF taken of R. tonduzii at Huntington Botanical Gardens 9/99 KAF)

 

 

 

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