Disocactus

Not to be confused with Discocactus.
Disocactus
Disocactus martianus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Core eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Cactaceae
Subfamily: Cactoideae
Tribe: Hylocereeae
Genus: Disocactus
Lindl.[1]
Species

Disocactus ackermannii
Disocactus aurantiacus
Disocactus cinnabarinus
Disocactus flagelliformis
Disocactus ×hybridus
Disocactus kimnachii
Disocactus martianus
Disocactus phyllanthoides
Disocactus schrankii
Disocactus speciosus
etc.

Disocactus is a genus of epiphytic cacti in the tribe Hylocereeae found in Central America, the Caribbean and northern South America.[1] It should not be confused with Discocactus, which is a different genus.

Species of Disocactus grow in tropical regions either on trees as epiphytes or on rocks as lithophytes. They have two distinct growth habits. Species such as D. phyllanthoides have stems which are round at the base but then become flattened and leaflike. Other species, such as D. flagelliformis have stems which are round throughout their length.[1]

Many of the cultivated plants known as epiphyllum hybrids or just epiphyllums are derived from crosses between species of Disocactus (rather than Epiphyllum) and other genera in the Hylocereeae.[2]

Synonymy

The boundaries of the genera in the tribe Hylocereeae have been subject to considerable change and uncertainty, which is reflected in the number of names which have been used for Disocactus:[1]

Pseudorhipsalis is sometimes included in Disocactus, although kept separate by the International Cactaceae Systematics Group.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Anderson, Edward F. (2001), The Cactus Family, Pentland, Oregon: Timber Press, ISBN 978-0-88192-498-5, pp. 221–226
  2. ↑ Anderson, Edward F. (2001), The Cactus Family, Pentland, Oregon: Timber Press, ISBN 978-0-88192-498-5, p. 286
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