232 THE CACTACEAE. 



21. Rhipsalis megalantha Lofgren, Monatsschr. Kakteenk. 9: 134. 1899. 



Rhipsalis jiovaesii Giirke, Monatsschr. Kakteenk. ig: 12. 1909. 



Plants stout, up to i cm. thick, at first erect but in time spreading or with pendent branches, dull 

 green, often spotted with purple; areoles rather prominent, especially after flowering; flowers large, 4 

 cm. broad; petals 8 to 12, oblong, often shortly acuminate or obtuse, white; filaments erect, orange 

 at base, rose-colored above ; style thick, longer than the stamens ; stigma-lobes 6 to 8 ; fruit surrounded 

 with white hairs, rather small, 6 mm. in diameter, white or tinged with red; seeds nearly black. 



Type locality: Island of Sao Sebastiao, Brazil. 



Distribution: Known only from the type locality, an island off the coast of Brazil, 

 belonging to the state of Sao Paulo. 



This plant is known -wild only from the collection of Dr. Lofgren, but is now widely 

 found in cultivation, sometimes under the names Rhipsalis grandiflora or R. nevaesii. It has 

 the largest flower of any species of Rhipsalis. 



Illustrations: Bliihende Kakteen 2: pi. 116; Monatsschr. Kakteenk. 19: 13, as Rhip- 

 salis novaesii] Monatsschr. Kakteenk. 9: 137; Schumann, Gesamtb. Kalcteen Xachtr. 147. 

 f. 35; Arch. Jard. Bot. Rio de Janeiro i: pi. 8. 



Plate XXIV, figure 3, shows a fruiting branch obtained by Dr. Rose in Rio de Janeiro, 

 Brazil, in 1915 (No. 20400). 



22. Rhipsalis leucorhaphis Schumann, Monatsschr. Kakteenk. 10: 125. 1900. 



Epiph3^tic, much branched, about 5 dm. long, rooting abundantly along the branches, jointed, 

 5 to 8 mm. in diameter, terete or showing 4 or 5 ribs in herbarium specimens ; bristles i to 5, appressed, 

 early deciduous; areoles subtended by an ovate papery bract; flowers white, nodding, large, 1.5 cm. 

 long; petals only slightly spreading; filaments purplish or white with orange-colored base; stigma- 

 lobes 3 or 4, greenish, spreading; ovary not srmken in the branch; fruit globose, bright red, 6 to 8 mm. 

 in diameter; seeds numerous, brown. 



Type locality: Estancia Tagatiya, Paraguaj^ 

 Distribution: Paraguay and northern Argentina. 



We did not know this species until it was brought back by Dr. Shaf er in 1 9 1 7 from Para- 

 guay, where he obtained good specimens ; he also found it abimdant in northern Argentina. 

 Like many of the other species it grows in various situations, sometimes sprawling over 

 rocks or growing on forest trees. One of his living plants fruited in the New York Botanical 

 Garden and from this we have drawn part of our description. 



Plate XXIV, figtire i, shows the plant in flower, and figure 2 shows it in fruit, collected 

 by Dr. Shafer at Trinidad, Paraguay (No. 143). 



23. Rhipsalis loefgrenii nom. nov. 



i?/;//)ra/!5 ;u):'a«('/ Lofgren, Arch. Jard. Bot. Rio de Janeiro i: 69. 1915. Not Giirke, 1909. 



Stems long and slender, rooting freely all along stem, pale green to purple, terete, 3 mm. in 

 diameter; areoles small, subtended by a large scarious bract with appressed hairs in axils when young; 

 flowers very numerous, 12 to 15 mm. long, white, campanulate; filaments purplish at base; fruit 

 purplish, 5 to 8 mm. in diameter. 



Type locality: Near Campinas, Brazil. 



Distribution: Brazil. 



Dr. Rose saw the Lofgren type in the Botanical Garden at Rio de Janeiro and obtained 

 li\ang and herbarium specimens of the plant. Dr. Shafer also obtained living specimens 

 from Lofgren in 191 7. 



Unfortunately, Lofgren's name was given to another plant by Giirke and for this 

 reason we have renamed it in honor of Dr. Alberto Lofgren (1854-19 18), who long studied 

 this genus and published an excellent monograph of it in 19 15. 



Illustration: Arch. Jard. Bot. Rio de Janeiro i: pi. 2, as Rhipsalis novaesii. 



