155 



trees, though sometimes found on cliffs, and they are mesophytes 

 rather than xerophytes, inhabiting moist or wet regions. Some 

 of them bear spines or bristles at the areoles of young shoots, 

 which usually fall away early, leaving the mature plants quite 

 unarmed, but a few South American species bear spines even 

 when mature. Their flowers are whitish, yellowish, or pink, 

 often almost rotate when widely expanded, the pet ianth- segments 

 few, the perianth-tube short or none ; the stamens are few or 

 numerous and shorter than the perianth ; the fruits are globular 

 or oblong, white or yellowish berries with a watery pulp full of 

 small seeds. 



Three species are now known from the West Indies, which may 

 be classified as follows : 



Joints terete, slender ( Eur/iipsatis). I. R. Cassutha. 



Joints flat [Phyllorhipsnlis). 



Joints 4-6 cm. wide; flowers 15 rnm. long; berry oblong. 2. R. alatn. 



Joints I-2.5 cm - w '^ e i flowers 6 mm. long ; berry subglobose. 



3. R . jawnii ensis. 



i. Rhipsalis Cassutha Gaertn. Fr. & Sem. i : 137. 1788 



Cassytha filiformis Mill. Gard. Diet. Ed. 8. 1768. Not L. 



Cactus parasiticus Lam. Encycl. 1 : 541. 1783. Not L. 



Cactus pen du his Sw. Fl. Ind. Occ. 2: 876. 1800. 



Cactus caripe u sis H.B.K. Nov. Gen. 6: 66. 1823. 



Cereus caripensis DC. Prodr. 3: 467. 1828. 



Rhipsalis parasiticus DC. Prodr. 3: 476. 1828. 



Cactus fa sen u I at us Willd. Enum. Snppl. 33. 1 8 1 3. 



Rlupsalis parasitica Haw. Syn. PI. Succ. 187. 18 [ 2. 



Rhipsalis fascial lata Haw. Suppl. 83. 18 19. 



Rhipsalis cassythoides G. Don, Gen. Syst. 3: 176. 1834. 



Rhipsalis dichotoma G. Don, Gen. Syst. 3 : 170. 1834. 



Rhipsalis undulata Pfeiff. Enum. 156. 1837. 



Rhipsalis Hookeriaua G. Don, Gen. Syst. 3: 176. 1834. 



Hariota parasitica Kuntze, Rev. Gen. PI. 262. 1891. 



Plant often 1 m. long or longer, much branched, light green, 

 pendent from trees or on cliffs, the branches flexible ; flowers 6 8 

 mm. long ; petals about 4, ovate, obtuse ; stamens about 9. 

 [Figure i.] 



Type locality : Not cited. 



