PSEUDORHIPSAI^IS. 213 



Illustration: Schumann, Gesamtb. Kakteen 633. f. 98, H, as Rhipsalis monacantha. 

 Figure 213 is from a photograph of a herbarium specimen cohected at Cahlegua, 

 Jujuy, Argentina, by J. A. Shafer in 1917 (No. 56). 



5. PSEUDORHIPSALIS gen. nov. 



Epiphytic, much branched, and elongated cacti, at first erect, but soon prostrate or hanging; 

 branches flattened, rather thin, serrate or crenate; flowers numerous, borne sohtary at the lateral 

 areoles, narrowly campanulate; segments united into a short but definite tube; ovary and fruit 

 globular, bearing several scales; seeds black. 



Two species are here included, of which Cactus alatus Swartz is made the generic type- 

 These plants in their habit and branches resemble certain species of Rhipsalis, especially 

 R. ramulosa and its relatives, but differ from all the species of Rhipsalis in having united 

 perianth-segments and more scaly ovary and fruit. 



Key to Species. 



Ovary and outer perianth-segments reddish i . P. himantoclada 



Ovary and outer perianth-segments greenish or yellowish green 2. P. alata 



1. PseudorhipsaHs himantoclada (Roland-Gosselin). 



Rhipsalis himantoclada Roland-Gosselin, Bull. Soc. Bot. France 55: 694. 1908. 

 Wittia costaricensis Britton and Rose, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 16: 261. 1913. 



Fig. 214. — PseudorhipsaHs himantoclada. 



Stems 4 to 5 dm. long, erect or curved, flat, i to 3 cm. broad, with horizontal branches nan owed 

 at base, pointed, the margin low-serrate; areoles 12 to 15 mm. apart; ovary, tube, and sepals purplish; 

 ovary 3 mm. long, bearing a few very short scales; tube of flower about 8 mm. long; inner perianth- 

 segments white, obtuse, spreading; stamens erect; style white; stigma-lobes 4. 



Type locality: Pozo Azul, Costa Rica. 



Distribution: Costa Rica. 



We are told by Mr. Oton Jimenez that Mr. Werckle, who first collected the plant, 

 would refer Wittia costaricensis here. He states also that it is very luxuriant and when 

 growing wild becomes so large that one man can not carry a single plant. 



Illustration: Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 16: pi. 82, as Wittia costaricensis. 



Plate xxn, figure 6, shows a flowering branch collected by Werckle in 1907 which 

 flowered in the New York Botanical Garden, December 20, 1911. Figure 214 is from a 

 photograph of a terminal branch ; figure 215 shows a flowering branch ; figure 216 shows a 

 flower cut longitudinally. 



2. PseudorhipsaHs alata (Swartz). 



Cactus alatus Swartz, Prodr. 77. 1788. 



Cereaj o/atei De Candolle, Prodr. 3 : 470. 1828. 



Epiphyllum alatum Haworth, Phil. Mag. 6: 109. 1829. Not Haworth, 1819. 



Rhipsalis swartziana Pfeiffer, Enmn. Cact. 131. 1837. 



Hariota swartziana Lemaire, Cact. Gen. Nov. Sp. 75. 1839 



Rhipsalis alata Schumann in Martins, Fl. Bras. 4-: 288. 1890. 



Hariota alata Kuntze, Rev. Gen. PI. i: 262. 1891. 



Rhipsalis harrisii Giirke, Monatsschr. Kakteenk. 18: 180. 1809. 



