5416.000 Rhipsalis Gaertn.

Description of the genus

Epiphyte (rarely a lithophyte) on trees. Stems green, cylindric with articulated whorled branches up to 1 m. Leaves 0 or reduced to minute scales. Young plants bear areoles subtended by minute scales with tufted bristles. Flowers lateral, white or greenish-white; perianth segments 8-13, the outermost 3-5 small, unequal, ± succulent, greenish, the inner 5-8 translucent. Fruit mucilaginous, white, yellow or pink. Seeds with a caruncle, black and glossy (in ours).

Derivation of name: from the Greek for wicker work, reffering to the long, thin, interlacing branches chacteristic of many species in this genus.

Worldwide: c. 60 species; all but one confined to tropical and subtropical America.

Malawi: 1 taxon.

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Links to taxa:     View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this genus

SpeciesFZ divisionsContent
baccifera (J.S.Muell.) StearnN,SDescription, Image

Other sources of information about Rhipsalis:

Our websites:

Flora of Caprivi: cultivated Rhipsalis
Flora of Mozambique: Rhipsalis
Flora of Zimbabwe: Rhipsalis
Flora of Zimbabwe: cultivated Rhipsalis

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Rhipsalis
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Rhipsalis
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Rhipsalis
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Rhipsalis
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Rhipsalis
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Rhipsalis
JSTOR Plant Science: Rhipsalis
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Rhipsalis
Plants of the World Online: Rhipsalis
Tropicos: Rhipsalis
Wikipedia: Rhipsalis

Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2014-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Malawi: Genus page: Rhipsalis.
https://www.malawiflora.com/speciesdata/genus.php?genus_id=992, retrieved 28 March 2024

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