LEPISMIUM. 215 



6. LEPISMIUM Pfeiffer, Allg. Gartenz. 3 : 315, 380. 1835. 



Saxicolous or epiphytic cacti, usually much branched and elongated, the branches flat, angled 

 or 3-winged, the margins strongly crenate; areoles in the crenations producing a tuft of long white 

 hairs; flowers i to 5 at an areole, white to pinkish; perianth-segments united at base into a short 

 tube ; filaments slender, adnate to flower-tube ; stigma-lobes 4 or 5 ; fruit globose, smooth, turgid, 

 purple; seeds minute; cotyledons broad, acuminate. 



Type species : Lepismium commune Pfeiffer. 



We recognize but one species, which has been described under many names. The 

 generic name is from AeTrts, a scale, referring to the small scales subtending the areole. 



1. Lepismium cruciforme (Vellozo) Miquel, Bull. Neerl. 49. 1838. 



Cactus cruciformis Vellozo, Fl. Flum. 207. 1825. 



Cereus tenuispinus Haworth, Phil. Mag. i: 125. 1827. 



Cereus myosurus Salm-Dyck in De Candolle, Prodr. 3: 469. 1828. 



Cereus tenuis De Candolle. Prodr. 3: 469. 1828. 



Cereus squamulosiis Salm-Dyck in De Candolle, Prodr. 3: 469. 1828. 



Cereus setosus Loddiges, Bot. Cab. 19: pi. 1887. 1832. 



Lepismium tenue Pfeiffer, Allg. Gartenz. 3: 315. 1835. 



Lepismium commune Pfeiffer, Allg. Gartenz. 3: 315. 1835. 



Lepismium knightii Pfeiffer, Allg. Gartenz. 3: 380. 1835. 



Lepismium myostirus Pfeiffer, Enum. Cact. 139. 1837. 



Cereus cruciformis Steudel, Nom. ed. 2.1: 333. 1840. 



Rhipsalis myosurus Forster, Handb. Cact. 455. 1846. 



Rhipsalis mittleri Forster, Handb. Cact. 455. 1846. 



Rhipsalis knightii Forster, Handb. Cact. 456. 1846. 



Lepismium myosurus knightii Salm-Dyck in Labouret, Monogr. Cact. 445. 1853. 



Lepismium myosurus laevigatum Salm-Dyck in Labouret, Monogr. Cact. 446. 1853. 



Lepismium radicans Vochting, Jahrb. Wiss. Bot. Leipzig 9: 399. 1873. 



Lepismium cavernosum Lindberg, Gartenfiora 39: 151. 1890. 



Rhipsalis brevibarbis Schumann in Martius, Fl. Bras. 4°: 268. 1890. 



Rhipsalis squamulosa Schumann in Martius, Fl. Bras. 4^: 280. 1890. 



Rhipsalis macropogon Schumann in Martius, Fl. Bras. 4-: 282. 1890. 



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



Hariota squamulosa Kuntze, Rev. Gen. PI. i: 263. 1891. 



Hariota knightii Kuntze, Rev. Gen. PI. i: 263. 1891. 



Hariota knightii tenuispiiiis Kuntze, Rev. Gen. PI. i: 263. 1891. 



Rhipsalis anceps Weber, Rev. Hort. 64: 427. 1892. 



Rhipsalis cavernosa Schumann, Monatsschr. Kakteenk. 3: 24. 1893. 



Rhipsalis radicans Weher, Diet. Hort. Bois 1047. 1898. 



Rhipsalis radicans anceps Weber, Diet. Hort. Bois 1047. 1898. 



Rhipsalis radicans ensiformis Weber, Diet. Hort. Bois 1047. 1898. 



Lepismium cavernosum ensiforme Weber in Roland-Gosselin, Rev. Hort. 70: 108. 1899. 



Usually creeping over rocks, freely rooting, appressed, somewhat branching ; branches f oliaceous, 

 usually flat, sometimes 3, 4, or even 5-angled, linear-lanceolate, 2 cm. broad, narrowed at base, 

 more or less purplish, especially on edges; margins somewhat repand; areoles sunken in margins; 

 flowers white, 2 to 5 or even more from an areole, 12 to 13 mm. long; fruit globular, juicy, purplish 

 to red, translucent, 6 to 12 mm. in diameter; seeds light brown to black, 1.8 mm. long. 



Type locality: Coast of Brazil. 



Distribution: States of Rio de Janeiro and Minas Geraes, Brazil. 



Rhipsalis radicans rosea Weber (Diet. Hort. Bois 1047. 1898) has small rose-colored 

 flowers which, according to Weber, resemble those of R. myosurus. 



Schumann (Gesamtb. Kakteen 649. 1898) gives Lepismium anceps Weber (in Hort. 

 Paris) as a synonym for Rhipsalis anceps. Here belongs also R. ensiformis Weber (Diet. 

 Hort. Bois 1047. 1898). 



Some of the plants now in cultivation are not so broadly winged as is shown in the 

 illustration in Curtis's Botanical Magazine referred to below. This illustration was based 

 upon specimens which were supposed to have come from Prince de Salm-Dyck and, there- 

 fore, presumably are typical. 



Cereus knightii Parmentier (Pfeiffer, Enum. Cact. 139. 1837) is given as a synonym of 

 Lepismium. knightii. 



Cactus tenuis Schott (De Candolle, Prodr. 3: 469. 1828) was cited as a synonym of 

 Cereus tenuis. 



