152 



Four of these must be regarded as synonyms of Rhipsalis 

 Cassuiha Gaertn. They are: 



Rhipsalis aethiopica Welwitsch. 



mauritiana Commerson. 

 zanzibarica Weber. 

 comorensis Weber. 



This fact is not contested by anyone for the first two species. 



As Weber describes it, his R. zanzibarica sent from Zanzibar 

 to the Museum in 1888 by Father Sacleux is also a form of R. 

 Cassutha but very vigorous and identical with a fine specimen 

 collected at Xalapa, Mexico, by M. Leon Diguet in 1907, bearing 

 fruits somewhat elongated as in R. zanzibarica. In a large num- 

 ber of specimens of R. Cassutha from different localities the fruits 

 may be seen quite spherical. 



Rhipsalis comorensis, in which the flowers, fruits and seeds are 

 like those of R. Cassutha, is distinguished by the vegetative parts 

 being slightly thickened. The branches are not very long and 

 consequently less pendent. The young specimens have the aspect 

 of R. conferta S. D. but the flowers are completely different. 



Weber in the " Dictionnaire de Bois," p. 1046, considers his R. 

 madagascariensis as a synonym of the old R. fasciculata Haw. 

 indicated by P. de Candolle and Lamarck as originating in Sto. 

 Domingo and adjacent islands. 



The figures given by the Botanical Magazine (no. 3079) and by 

 Redoute in the Plantes Grasses of P. de Candolle represent the 

 American plants, identical with those specimens from Africa 

 which we possess. According to their origin these vary in size. 

 The type of Tamatave which Weber used for his description is 

 slender and sometimes languishes in our green-houses, whereas 

 the one introduced from Madagascar by Sainte-Marie in 1898 is 

 larger and more robust. This species preserves its juvenile form 

 during many years, the stems are covered with many small white 

 setaceous spines; usually on the adult branches there arise 

 juvenile branchlets bearing flowers. I do not know the authentic 

 specimen from Mascarene Islands. 



De Candolle believed that he recognized Rhipsalis fasciculata 



