l8o THE CACTACEAE. 



Mag. Gart. Blumen. 1852: pi. opp. 176, f. i, as E. truncatum elegans; Arch. Jard. Bot. Rio 

 de Janeiro 2: pi. 3, as Zygocactiis dclicahis; Van Geel, Sert. Bot. i: pi. 117 as Cactus trun- 

 catus; Martins, Fl. Bras. 4': pi. 46; Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 16: pi. 80; Stand. Cycl. Hort. 

 Bailey 6: f. 4055. 



Figure 185 shows a plant in the New York Botanical Garden which flowered December 

 15, 191 1 ; figure 186 shows a fruiting joint collected by Dr. Rose in the Organ Mountains of 

 Brazil in 1915 (No. 20819) ; figure 187 is from a photograph of a cultivated plant obtained 

 by Dr. Rose in the Botanical Garden at Rio de Janeiro in 1915 (No. 20855). 



2. EPIPHYLLANTHUS Berger, Rep. Mo. Bot. Card. 16: 84. 1905. 



Plants either epiphytic or growing in shade of rock in rich humus, often in clumps, more or less 

 branched; joints globular, cyUndric or much flattened; areoles scattered over surface of joints, 

 circular, tomentose, either with or without spines; flowers zygomorphic, slender, purple to white; 

 stamens somewhat exserted, arranged in 2 series, those forming the inner series united at base; 

 style slender, a little longer than stamens; ovary angled, bearing a few small scales; fruit small. 



Type species: Epiphyllanthus obtusangulus Berger. 



The type of this genus has long been treated as a species of Cereus, although its 

 dissimilarity to Cereus proper or to any of its immediate relatives must have been observed. 

 It was left to Alwin Berger to call attention to its true alliance and to propose for it a new 

 generic name ; his statement regarding it is so clear that we quote from it as follows : 



"This very strange little plant, still rare in cultivation, can not be considered either a Cereus 

 or an EpiphyUiim. But no doubt it is much more nearly allied to the latter than to the former genus. 

 Schumann brought it into Cereus on account of its round and ribbed stems, but there exists no 

 Cereus of a similar articulated growth; only with Rhipsalis and Epiphyllum can it be compared. 

 The plant resembles somewhat a minute Platyopimtia. The joints are slightly flattened and have 

 numerous little prominent areoles distributed spirally all over the surface. In this it differs greatly 

 from Epiphyllum with which it agrees in all the characters of the flowers, the angular, nearly alate 

 ovary, and especially in the inner stamens being united at the base into a small incurved membrane. 

 Also, the fruit resembles more that of an Epiphyllum than that of a Cereus. The flowers rise from 

 the top of the joints as in Epiphyllum. The plant is best considered as generically different from 

 both, but must be placed with Epiphyllmn and Rhipsalis among the Inarmatae of K. Schumann." 



We recognize 3 species, all from central Brazil. All occur on the high mountain 

 Itatiaya, province of Rio de Janeiro; what their actual relationships may be can be deter- 

 mined only by further field observations. They may all be referable to one variable species. 



The generic name was given because of the resemblance of the flowers of the type 

 species to those of Epiphyllum truncatum {Zygocactus) . 



Key to Species. 



Joints or some of them flattened, Opunlia-W^e i . E. obovatus 



Joints terete or obtusely angled. 



Flower purple to rose 2. E. microsphaericus 



Flowers white 3. £. candidus 



1. Epiphyllanthus obovatus (Engelmann). 



Epiphyllum obovatuin Engelmann in Schumann, Gesamtb. Kakteen 224. 1897. 

 Epiphyllum opuntioides Lofgren and Dusen, Arch. Mus. Nac. Rio de Janeiro 13: 49. 1905. 

 Zygocactus opuntioides Lofgren, Arch. Jard. Bot. Rio de Janeiro 2: 26. 1918. 



Usually growing in shade of rocks, at first erect, becoming more or less decumbent, verj' much 

 branched; joints usually 5 to 7 cm. long, obovate to oblong, more or less flattened, often suggesting 

 small joints of some Opunlia, bearing scattered areoles and these often spinescent; old and lower 

 joints often nearly terete, bearing large areoles with numerous short yellow spines; flowers 5 cm. 

 long, purple; ovary naked. 



Type locality: Brazil. 

 Distribtition : Central Brazil. 



Dr. Rose collected this species on Itatiaya, altitude about 2,300 meters, in July 19 15 

 (No. 20495); the plant did not do well in cultivation with us and his specimens died. 



