THE CACTACEAE. 



The species has been recorded from the West Indies, apparently erroneously. 



Our description is based on field notes made by Dr. Rose in Brazil in 19 15 which difler 

 slightly from published descriptions. This plant is common in the woods along the coast of 

 eastern Brazil, often growing in inaccessible places high up in the great trees. Open flowers 

 were not seen, but buds, fruit, and seeds were obtained. Living 

 plants were collected and these have done well; one flower appeared 

 in the collection of the Department of Agriculture during Dr. Rose's 

 absence in Ecuador in 1918. The caretaker, Mr. Fraile, describes the 

 flower as long and slender and very unlike other species of Epiphyllum, 

 of which he has seen many (Rose, No. 19627). It fruited in the New 

 York Botanical Garden in 1920. The plant is called flor de baile or 

 flower of the ball. 



An Epiphyllum grows in the lowlands of Ecuador which we have 

 tentatively referred here, although we have never seen its flowers or 

 fruits. Dr. Rose collected it below Huigra, September 8, 19 18 (No. 

 22614), and again above Santa Rosa near Limon Playo, October 17 

 (No. 23493). 



Cactus phyllanthus of Linnaeus (Sp. PI. 469. 1753) SinA Epiphyllum, 

 phyllanthus Haworth (Syn. PI. Succ. 197. i8i2),both contain references 

 not only to this species but to Epiphyllum phyllanthoides also. 



The variety columbiensis was described by both Weber and Schu- 

 mann with a flower-tube only 6 cm. long. 



Cereus phyllanthus marginaiM^ Parmentier is mentioned byLemaire 

 (Cact. Gen. Nov. Sp. 76. 1839) but not described. 



Illustrations: Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 16: pi. 68, as Epiphyllum gaillardae; Pfeiffer 

 and Otto, Abbild. Beschr. Cact. i : pi. 10, f. i, as Cereus phyllanthus; Petiver, Gazoph. Dec. 

 pi. 59, f. 10. 1709, as Heliotropium, etc.; Dillenius, Hort. Elth. pi. 64, as Cereus scolopendrii, 

 etc.; De CandoUe, PI. Succ. Hist. pi. 145; Vellozo, Fl. Flum. 5: pi. 33 (except flower), as 

 Cactus phyllanthus; Monatsschr. Kakteenk. 2: 73, as Phyllocactus phyllanthus; Martins, 

 Fl. Bras. 4-: pi. 44. 



Figure 194 is from a photograph of a fruiting branch borne on the specimens obtained 

 by Dr. Rose in Brazil in 1915; figure 195 shows a seedling with its two large cotyledons, 

 grown from seeds sent by Mrs. D. D. Gaillard from Panama. 



Fig. 195. — Seedling of 

 EpiphylluTTi phyllan- 

 thus. X 0.6. 



2. Epiphyllum oxypetalum (De CandoUe) Haworth, Phil. Mag. 6: 109. 1829. 

 Cereus oxypetalus De CandoUe, Prodr. 3: 470. 1828. 

 Cereus tatifrotis PieiSer, Enum. Cact. 125. 1837. 

 Phyllocactus oxypetalus Link in Walpers, Repert. Bot. 2: 341. 1843. 

 Phyllocactus latifrons Link in Walpers, Repert. Bot. 2: 341. 1843. 

 Phyllocactus grandis Lemaire, Fl. Serr. 3: 255b. 1847. 



Phyllocactus guyanensis Brongnart in Labouret, Monogr. Cact. 416. 1853. 

 Epiphyllum acuminatum Schumann in Martius, Fl. Bras. 4-: 222, 1890. 

 Phyllocactus acuminatus Schumann, Gesamtb. Kakteen 213. 1897. 

 Phyllocactus purpusii Weingart, Monatsschr. Kakteenk. 17: 34. 1907. 

 Epiphyllum grande Britten and Rose, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 16: 257. 1913- 



Plants stout, 3 meters long or more, much branched; branches flat and thin, 10 to 12 cm. 

 broad, long-acuminate, deeply crenate; flowers opening in the evening, drooping and limp after 

 anthesis, fragrant; tube of flower 13 to 15 cm. long, rather stout, red, about i cm. thick, bearing 

 distant narrow scales about 10 mm. long; outer perianth-segments narrow, reddish to amber, 8 to 

 10 cm. long; inner perianth-segments oblong, white; stamens numerous, white; style white, thick, 

 20 cm. long; stigma-lobes numerous, cream-colored, entire. 



Type locality: Mexico. 



Distribution: Mexico and Guatemala, Venezuela, and Brazil, 

 the tropics and doubtless an escape in many places. 



Widely cultivated in 



