Epiphyllum
Genus of cacti
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Epiphyllum, /ˌɛpɪˈfɪləm/;[3] from Ancient Greek ἐπι- (epi-), meaning "upon", and φύλλον (phúllon), meaning "leaf", 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.
| Epiphyllum | |
|---|---|
| |
| Epiphyllum oxypetalum | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Embryophytes |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Spermatophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Cactaceae |
| Subfamily: | Cactoideae |
| Tribe: | Hylocereeae |
| Genus: | Epiphyllum Haw. |
| Type species | |
| Epiphyllum phyllanthus (L.) Haw.[1] | |
| Species | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
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] white through red,[4] with numerous petals. These flowers have notably short, nocturnal antheses, blooming only at night, and wilting at dawn.[5] 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]
The broad-leaved epiphyllum (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) is particularly well known species that bears large, strongly fragrant flowers.[6]
Taxonomy
It was published by Adrian Hardy Haworth in 1812.[7][8] The type species is Epiphyllum phyllanthus (L.) Haw.[1]
Species
As of May 2020[update], Plants of the World Online accepts 10 species:[2]
| Image | Scientific name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|
 | Epiphyllum baueri Dorsch | Colombia, Panama |
| Epiphyllum cartagense (F.A.C.Weber) Britton & Rose | Costa Rica, Panama | |
 | Epiphyllum chrysocardium Alexander | Mexico |
| Epiphyllum grandilobum (F.A.C.Weber) Britton & Rose | Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama | |
 | Epiphyllum hookeri Haw. | Mexico, Central America, Venezuela; introduced to Florida |
 | Epiphyllum laui Kimnach | Mexico |
 | Epiphyllum oxypetalum (DC.) Haw. | Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, Mexico |
 | Epiphyllum phyllanthus (L.) Haw. | Mexico to Venezuela then south to Argentina |
 | Epiphyllum pumilum Britton & Rose | Guatemala, Mexico |
_1.41.jpg) | 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[9])
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.[10][11]
