RHIPSALIS. 



233 



Fig. 225. — Rhipsalis loefgrenii. a, fruiting branch; b. tip of brancfi; f, bract. 



Figure 225a shows two branches with a single fruit 1.33 times natural size; figure 225^ 

 shows a branch twice natural size; figure 225c shows one of the bracts which subtend the 

 areoles, 4 times natural size, 

 all drawn from plants ob- 

 tained by Dr. Shafer from Dr. 

 .lyofgren in 19 17 and since 

 grown in the New York Bo- 

 tanical Garden. 



24. Rhipsalis neves-armondii 



Schumann in Martius, Fl. 

 Bras. 4^: 284. 1890. 



? Rhipsalis rigida Lofgren, 

 Arch, Jard. Bot. Rio de 

 Janeiro i: 93. 1915. 



Stems elongated, much 

 branched, and hanging from 

 trees in large clusters; branches 

 arranged in whorls of 3 to 10, 

 4 to 5 mm. thick, terete, elon- 

 gated, deep green ; flowers widely 

 spreading, 2 cm. broad, white to 

 cream-colored; petals about 12, 

 acute ; style erect, white ; stigma-lobes 5 , white ; ovary sunken in the branch ; fruit globose, red, i o mm. 

 in diameter ; seeds brown. 



Type locality: Mount Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 



DistribtUion: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 



There has long been much uncertainty regarding this species and Dr. Rose, during his 

 trip to South America, in 191 5, endeavored to solve the problem. He first visited one of the 

 three localities mentioned in the original description, namely Tijuca, a mountain near Rio 

 de Janeiro. Here he found two species which belonged to the same group, Rhipsalis 

 grandiflora and R. pulvinigera. He then visited the herbarium of the Museo Nacional, where 

 he found specimens of R. neves-armondii. Unfortunately, they did not bear an original label 

 but one doubtless written after the appearance of the description in the Flora Brasiliensis 

 for the three localities mentioned therein. After studying this material carefully, he visited 

 the mountain region just above Tijuca, namely Pica Popagaya, where he feels certain he has 

 collected the true form, although the joints are more terete and the flowers are pure white 

 instead of yellow ; it is a singular Rhipsalis and a very shy bloomer. A second visit was 

 then made to Tijuca, but lower down on the mountain, and here he again found this species. 



Illustrations: Martius, Fl. Bras. 4': pi. 56; Arch. Jard. Bot. Rio de Janeiro i: pi. 19; 

 Bliihende Kakteen 2: pi. 80, A. 



Plate xxviii, figure i, shows a flowering plant collected by Dr. Rose at the type 

 locality in 1915 (No. 20673), which flowered in the New York Botanical Garden in 1916; 

 Plate XXIV, figures 4 and 5, show branches from the same plant, in fruit. 



25. Rhipsalis pittieri sp. nov. 



Epiphytic, resembling in habit Rhipsalis cassutha; branches 5 to 6 mm. in diameter, dull green, 

 terete; petals greenish yellow, 5 to 6 mm. long; ovary sunken in the stem, surrounded by white 

 hairs; fruit maturing very slowly, white; seeds black. 



Collected by H. Pittier near Hacienda Koster, Borburata, near Puerto Cabello, 

 Venezuela, in 1913 (No. 6467), and flowered first in Washington in the fall of 1914 (October 

 16), the fruit maturing March 16, 1915. The plant has repeatedly flowered since. This 



