155 



trees, though sometimes found on cHffs, and they are mesophytes 

 rather than xerophytes, inhabiting moist or wet regions. Some 

 of them bear spines or bristles at the areoles of young shoots, 

 which usually fall away early, leaving the mature plants quite 

 unarmed, but a few South American species bear spines even 

 when mature. Their flowers are whitish, yellowish, or pink, 

 often almost rotate when widely expanded, the perianth- segments 

 few, the perianth-tube short or none ; the stamens are few or 

 numerous and shorter than the perianth ; the fruits are globular 

 or oblong, white or yellowish berries with a watery pulp full of 

 small seeds. 



Three species are now known from the West Indies, which may 

 be classified as follows : 



]omls terete, slender (Eur/n'psa/is). I. J?. Cassuiha. 



Joints flat [F/iyllorhips/ilis). 



Joints 4-6 cm. wide; flowers 15 mm. long; berry oblong. 2. Ji. alata. 



Joints 1-2. 5 cm. wide ; flowers 6 mm. long ; berry subglobose. 



3. R. jamaicensis. 



I. Rhipsalis Cassutha Gaertn. Fr. & Sem. i : 137. 1788 

 Cassytha filifonnis Mill. Gard. Diet. Ed. 8. 1768. Not L. 

 Cactus parasiticus Lam. Encycl. i : 541. 1783. Not L. 

 Cactus pen dti his S\w. Fl. Ind. Occ. 2: 876. 1800. 

 Cacttis caripeiisis H.B.K. Nov. Gen. 6: 66. 1823. 

 Cereus caripensis DC. Prodr. 3 : 467. 1828. 

 Rhipsalis parasiticus DC. Prodr. 3: 476. 1828. 

 Cactus fasciculatus W\\\d. Enum. Suppl. 33. 1813. 

 Rhipsalis parasitica Haw. Syn. PI. Succ. 187. 18 12. 

 Rhipsalis fascicu lata Haw. Suppl. 83. 18 19. 

 Rhipsalis cassytlwides G. Don, Gen. Syst. 3: 176. 1834. 

 Rhipsalis dichotoma G. Don, Gen. Syst. 3: 176. 1834. 

 Rhipsalis uiidulataVitx^. P2num. 156. 1837. 

 Rhipsalis Hookcriana G. Don, Gen. Syst. 3: 176. 1834. 

 Hariota parasitica Kuntze, Rev. Gen. PI. 262. 1891. 



Plant often i m. long or longer, much branched, light green, 

 pendent from trees or on cliffs, the branches flexible ; flowers 6— 8 

 mm. long ; petals about 4, ovate, obtuse ; stamens about 9. 

 [Figure i.] 



Type locality: Not cited. 



