CactiGuide.com

I just read a posting of an unknown tropical cactus that was in the succulent ID page. Up until reading that posting, I thought that the plant I purchased a couple of years ago was a Rhipsalis pilocarpa - after all, it was labeled as such (for all that's worth). A photo of my plant may be viewed below. The plant in the other thread (see http://cactiguide.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=15630) looked like mine but was identified as Rhipsalis cereuscula. It may well be a different animal altogether though. My plant has never bloomed but it has grown a great deal this winter. Any thought on its identity would be welcomed.

Nathan

Hello Nathan
Not pilocarpa; tht is this one.(more hairy 'spines")
harry

Here are some more photos of the Rhipsalis ssp. I wrote in about. Perhaps these will aid in giving it a proper identity.


Thanks Again,
Nathan

Detail of older, more compact growth.


New, lankier growth.

I think Rhipsalis mesembryanthemoides on this one.

(I had to copy/paste the name - I did not type that by memory!)

Looking at the two photos on the CaciGuide site I would be split. The first photo really doesn't seem to resemble the plant at all - it appears to almost mimic a donkey tail plant or some other sedum. The second photo is much closer to my plant. You have to love the extreme variability demonstrated among these critters.

Nathan

Actually, I think your plant could be that, but using Supple's Rhipsalis book, I think it is actually cereuscula as you suspected. I also think the two I have pictured for cereuscula are grandiflora.

Looks much more like cereuscula than mesembryanthemoides to me. I'm not convinced that the second photo on the mesembryanthemoides page in the genus section shows the correct species.