Epiphyllum laui
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Epiphyllum laui | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Photo: Alfred Lau | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Cactaceae |
| Subfamily: | Cactoideae |
| Genus: | Epiphyllum |
| Species: | E. laui |
| Binomial name | |
| Epiphyllum laui | |
Epiphyllum laui is a cactus species native to Mexico and grown as an ornamental.[1]
Stems branching basally or laterally; base narrow to subterete for 1–2 cm, flattened portions linear, subobtuse, 5–7 cm wide, midrib prominent, crenate, often slightly undulate; areoles hidden by brownish cream leaves, 2 mm wide and 1 mm long, brownish cream; spines 1-3 (-5), 3–5 mm long, hairlike, brownish yellow; epidermis shiny green, smooth, apices often reddish or brownish.
Flowers 15–16 cm long, 14–16 cm wide, opening in the evening and remain fully expanded for two days, funnelform; pericarpel inconspicuous, ca 2 cm long; olive green, tinged pinkish; bracteoles that subtend spare areolar wool and 1-3 thin yellowish spines; the remainder of pericarpel 9 cm long, yellowish olive, tinged pinkish or orange-yellow by light; bracteoles 1–2, without areolar wool; outer tepals recurving to nearly rotate or ascending, attached within 1,5 cm of receptacle, linear-oblanceolate, rather abruptly acute, 7–9 cm long, 5–10 mm wide, outermost reddish orange or reddish yellow, innermost pure yellow; inner tepals 11, forming a campanulate cluster, obovate-oblong, abruptly aristate, 6–7 cm long, 20–22 mm wide, outermost white tinged yellow, innermost pure white; stamens 4 cm long, forming a throat-circle at receptacle apex, cream; anthers light yellow; style 12,5 cm long, lobes 8, expanding and recurving, cream.
Fruit oblong, (4–5) 6 (-8) cm long, 2-3 (3–4) cm thick at middle, carmine red, flesh white, pink when fully ripe. Seeds ovoid-reniform, 2 mm long, 1 mm thick, black.
Taxonomy
E. laui is most closely allied to Epiphyllum crenatum and Epiphyllum anguliger.
Taxonomic history
Even though this plant was discovered in 1975, it was not described until 1990[2] as it failed to flower at the Huntington Botanical Garden. However, it flowered profusely for Alfred Lau in Mexico, as in several European collections, so Myron Kimnach knew that the plant represented a new species. In 1989, it finally flowered at Huntington and Kimnach was able to write a scientific description. Kimnach described the plant as "outstandingly attractive".[2]
Etymology
This species is named after Alfred B. Lau who discovered this species in 1975.