epiphyllum
{{Short description|Genus of cacti}}
{{About|the genus Epiphyllum Haw|a group of artificial hybrids known as epiphyllums|Epiphyllum hybrid|the genus Epiphyllum Pfeiff.|Schlumbergera}}
{{Automatic taxobox
|image = WeißeNachtblüte.jpg
|image_caption = Epiphyllum oxypetalum
|display_parents = 2
|taxon = Epiphyllum
|authority = Haw.
|subdivision_ranks = Species
|subdivision = See text.
|type_species =Epiphyllum phyllanthus (L.) Haw.
|synonyms =
}}
Epiphyllum ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|ɛ|p|ᵻ|ˈ|f|ɪ|l|əm}};Sunset Western Garden Book, 1995:606–607 "upon the leaf" in Greek) is a genus of epiphytic plants in the cactus family (Cactaceae), native to Central America and South America. Common names for these species include climbing cacti, orchid cacti and leaf cacti, though the latter also refers to the genus Pereskia.
Description
The stems are broad and flat, 1–5 cm broad, 3–5 mm thick, usually with lobed edges. The flowers themselves are large, with diameters ranging from 8 to 16 cm,{{Citation needed|date=March 2025}} white through red,{{Cite web |title=Leaf cactus {{!}} Description & Facts {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/plant/leaf-cactus |access-date=2025-03-12 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}} with numerous petals. These flowers have notably short, nocturnal antheses, blooming only at night, and wilting at dawn.{{Cite journal |last=Smith |first=Leland |date=2024-03-11 |title=Epiphyllum phyllanthus subsp. rubrocoronatum in Nicaragua |url=https://bioone.org/journals/cactus-and-succulent-journal/volume-96/issue-1/015.096.0111/Epiphyllum-phyllanthus-subsp-rubrocoronatum-in-Nicaragua/10.2985/015.096.0111.full |journal=Cactus and Succulent Journal |volume=96 |issue=1 |doi=10.2985/015.096.0111 |issn=0007-9367}} The fruit is edible, very similar to the pitaya fruit from the closely related genus Hylocereus, though not so large, being only 3–4 cm long.{{Citation needed|date=March 2025}}
The broad-leaved epiphyllum (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) is particularly well known species that bears large, strongly fragrant flowers.{{Cite book |last=Lim |first=T. K. |title=Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants: Volume 7, Flowers |date=2014 |publisher=Springer Netherlands |isbn=978-94-007-7394-3 |series=SpringerLink Bücher |location=Dordrecht s.l}}
Taxonomy
It was published by Adrian Hardy Haworth in 1812.Haworth, Adrian Hardy. (1812). Synopsis plantarum succulentarum :cum descriptionibus, synonymis, locis, observationibus anglicanis, culturaque (p. 197). Typis R. Taylor et Socii. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/10003997Missouri Botanical Garden. (n.d.-j). Epiphyllum Haw. Tropicos. Retrieved January 27, 2025, from https://www.tropicos.org/name/40004308 The type species is Epiphyllum phyllanthus {{small|(L.) Haw.}}Epiphyllum Haw. (n.d.). International Plant Names Index. Retrieved January 27, 2025, from https://www.ipni.org/n/30002688-2
=Species=
{{As of|2020|May}}, Plants of the World Online accepts 10 species:{{cite web |title=Epiphyllum Haw. |work=Plants of the World Online |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew|url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:30002688-2 |access-date=2020-05-15 }}
| class="wikitable" | ||
| Image | Scientific name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|
| 120px | Epiphyllum baueri Dorsch | Colombia, Panama |
| Epiphyllum cartagense (F.A.C.Weber) Britton & Rose | Costa Rica, Panama | |
| 120px | Epiphyllum chrysocardium Alexander | Mexico |
| Epiphyllum grandilobum (F.A.C.Weber) Britton & Rose | Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama | |
| 120px | Epiphyllum hookeri Haw. | Mexico, Central America, Venezuela; introduced to Florida |
| 120px | Epiphyllum laui Kimnach | Mexico |
| 120px | Epiphyllum oxypetalum (DC.) Haw. | Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, Mexico |
| 120px | Epiphyllum phyllanthus (L.) Haw. | Mexico to Venezuela then south to Argentina |
| 120px | Epiphyllum pumilum Britton & Rose | Guatemala, Mexico |
| 120px | Epiphyllum thomasianum (K.Schum.) Britton & Rose | Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Nicaragua |
=Formerly placed here=
- Disocactus crenatus (Lindl.) M.Á.Cruz & S.Arias (as Epiphyllum crenatum (Lindl.) G.Don)
- Disocactus lepidocarpus (F.A.C.Weber) M.Á.Cruz & S.Arias (as Epiphyllum lepidocarpum (F.A.C.Weber) Britton & Rose)
- Disocactus phyllanthoides (DC.) Barthlott (as E. phyllanthoides (DC.) Sweet{{cite web |url=http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/splist.pl?4316 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121212020243/http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/splist.pl?4316 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-12-12 |title=GRIN Species Records of Epiphyllum |website=Germplasm Resources Information Network |publisher=United States Department of Agriculture |access-date=2011-04-14 }})
Cultivation
The plants known as epiphyllum hybrids, epiphyllums or just epis, which are widely grown for their flowers, are artificial hybrids of species within the tribe Hylocereeae, particularly species of Disocactus. In spite of the common name, the involvement of Epiphyllum species as parents of Epiphyllum hybrids is unconfirmed.{{Cite journal|last=Van der Meer|first=M. H. J.|date=2018-12-31|title=16 new nothogenera and 15 new combinations in Hylocereeae (Cactaceae)|url=https://zenodo.org/record/2543879|journal=Cactologia Phantastica|volume=1|pages=1–16}}{{Cite conference|last=Worsley|first=A.|year=1907|title=Hybrids among the Amarylliae and Cactaceae, with some notes on variation in the Gesneriaceae and the genus Senecio|url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/206746#page/455/mode/1up|location=London|publisher=Spottiswoode & Co.|pages=407|book-title=Report of the Third International Conference 1906 on Genetics|editor=Wilks, W.}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
{{Wikispecies}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20090213074905/http://gotepis.com/drupal/node/4 Epi Species (GotEpis.com)], a comprehensive list of genera of epiphytic cacti.
{{Taxonbar|from=Q310964}}