Saturday, March 5, 2016

Epiphyllum anguliger

Epiphyllum anguliger, commonly known as the fishbone cactus, is a cactus species native to Mexico. The species is commonly grown as an ornamental for its beautiful, fragrant flowers in the fall.

The fruit is said to taste like gooseberries.

This species is named for its deeply toothed stems ("anguliger" = "angle bearing") which sometimes make a perfect rectangle.
This widespread species is endemic to Mexico, where it is distributed in the States of Guerrero, Jalisco, Nayarit and Oaxaca at elevations of 1,100 to 1,800 m.

An easily cultivated, fast growing epiphyte. Needs a compost containing plenty of humus and sufficient moisture in summer. Should be kept at 16–25 °C (61–77 °F), it may drop to 10–15 °C (50–59 °F) for shorter periods. Best grown in semi-shade. Flowers in late autumn or early winter.

Stems profusely branched, primary stems terete at base, often woody, apical part and secondary stems flat and rather succulent, 20–30 cm long, 3–5 cm wide, deeply lobed, often to near midrib, the lobes rectangular to obtuse or rounded; areoles small nude or with 1-2 white bristles; epidermis green, smooth.

Flowers 6–20 cm long, 6–7 cm wide, nocturnal, strongly sweet-scented *; pericarpel with podarium; receptacle 8–16 cm long, 4 mm thick, pale yellow, greenish or pinkish, bracteoles few, minute, linear and green, adpressed; outer tepals 10, linear to linear-lanceolate, acute, spreading or reflexed, 4–5 cm long, lemon yellow to brownish yellow; inner tepals lanceolate to ovate, acute or acuminate, white, sometimes toothed, as long as outer tepals; stamens in two rows, white, erect to subdeclinate, nearly as long as tepals; style longer than inner tepals, white; stigma lobes 8-11, linear. Fruit ovoid, brownish, greenish or yellowish, 3–4 cm thick.

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