Disocactus

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Ordo: Caryophyllales

Familia: Cactaceae
Subfamilia: Cactoideae
Tribus: Hylocereeae
Genus: Disocactus
Subgenera: D. subg. Ackermannia – D. subg. Disocactus
Species: D. ackermannii – D. anguliger – D. aurantiacus – D. biformis – D. crenatus – D. eichlamii – D. kimnachii – D. lepidocarpus – D. lodei – D. macdougallii – D. macranthus – D. nelsonii – D. phyllanthoides – D. quezaltecus – D. salvadorensis – D. speciosus
Nothospecies: D. × amaranthinus – D. × charltonii – D. × coopermannii – D. × hansii – D. × mallisonii – D. × moennighoffii – D. × splendens – D. × violaceus
Name

Disocactus Lindl., Edwards's Bot. Reg. 31: t. 9. 1845.
Type species: Disocactus biformis (Lindl.) Lindl.

Synonyms

Homotypic
Disisocactus Kunze, orth. var.
Disocereus Fric & Kreuz. in Kreuz., Verzeichnis Amer. Sukk. Revision Syst. Kakteen 15. 1935, nom. illeg.

Heterotypic
× Aporodisocactus Knebel, Phyllokakteen 38. 1947.
Formula hybridae: Aporocactus Lem. × Disocactus Lindl.
× Aporoheliocereus Airy Shaw in Willis, Dict. Fl. Pl., ed. 7, 80. 1966
Formula hybridae: Aporocactus Lem. × Heliocereus (A.Berger) Britton & Rose
× Aporoheliocereus Knebel ex Hunt
Bonifazia Standl. & Steyerm., Publ. Field Mus. Nat. Hist., Bot. Ser. 23: 66. 1944.
Type species: Bonifazia quezalteca Standl. & Steyerm.
Cereus [infragen.unranked] Erectiores Haw, Philos. Mag. Ann. Chem. 7: 110. 1830.
Type species: Cereus setifer Haw.
Cereus [infragen.unranked] Radicantes Salm-Dyck, Cact. Hort. Dyck. 1841: 31. 1841.
Cereus sect. Radicantes (Salm-Dyck) Walp., Rep. Bot. Syst. 2: 278. 1843, p.p.
Type species: non design.
Cereus [infragen.unranked] Speciosi Salm-Dyck, Hort. Dyck. 338. 1834.
Type species: Cereus speciosus (Cav.) Sweet
Chiapasia Britton & Rose, Cact. 4: 203. 1923.
Type species: Chiapasia nelsonii (Britton & Rose) Britton & Rose
Nopalxochia Britton & Rose, Cactaceae 4: 204. 1923.
Type: Nopalxochia phyllanthoides (DC.) Britton & Rose
× Chiapora H.Johnson, Succulent Parade 1958: 15. 1958, nom. inval.
× Chiapora H.Johnson ex G.D.Rowley, Natl. Cact. Succ. J. 37: 48. 1982, nom. inval.
Type species: non design.
× Disapora H.Johnson, Succulent Parade 1958: 15. 1958, nom. inval.
Formula hybridae: Aporocactus Lem. × Disocactus Lindl.
× Disheliocereus H.Johnson ex G.D.Rowley, Natl. Cact. Succ. J. 37: 48. 1982, nom. inval.
Formula hybridae: Disocactus Lindl. × Heliocereus (A.Berger) Britton & Rose
Epiphyllum [infragen.unranked] Diurna Haw., Philos. Mag. Ann. Chem., N.S., 6(32): 109. 1829.
Epiphyllum sect. Diurna G.Don, Gen. Hist. 3: 170. 1834, p.p. [1].
Type species: non design.
Heliocereus Britton & Rose, Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 12: 433. 1909.
Type species: Heliocereus speciosus (Cav.) Britton & Rose
Lobeira Alexander, Cact. Succ. J. (Los Angeles) 16: 177. 1944.
Type species: Lobeira macdougallii Alexander
Pseudonopalxochia Backeb., Handb. Kakteenk. 1: 69. 1958; Cactaceae 1: 69. 1958.
Type species: Pseudonopalxochia conzattiana (T.MacDoug.) Backeb.
Trochilocactus Linding., Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 61, Abt. A: 383. 1942, nom. inval.
Type species: Trochilocactus eichlamii (Weing.) Linding.

Distribution
Native distribution areas:
References
Primary references

Lindley, J. 1845. Edwards's Botanical Register 31 : t. 9

Additional references

Cruz, M.Á., Arias, S. & Terrazas, T. 2016. Molecular phylogeny and taxonomy of the genus Disocactus (Cactaceae), based on the DNA sequences of six chloroplast markers. Willdenowia 46: 145–164. DOI: 10.3372/wi.46.46112 Open access Reference page.
Doweld, A.B. 2005. Adjustments in the nomenclature of the genera Acanthocereus, Heliocereus and Nyctocereus (Cactaceae). Sukkulenty 8(1–2): 13–15. Reference page.
Korotkova, N., Aquino, D., Arias, S., Eggli, U., Franck, A., Gómez-Hinostrosa, C., Guerrero, P.C., Hernández, H.M., Kohlbecker, A., Köhler, M., Luther, K., Majure, L.C., Müller, A., Metzing, D., Nyffeler, R., Sánchez, D., Schlumpberger, B. & Berendsohn, W.G. 2021. Cactaceae at Caryophyllales. org–a dynamic online species-level taxonomic backbone for the family. Willdenowia 51(2): 251–270. DOI: 10.3372/wi.51.51208 Open access Reference page.

Links

Korotkova, N. et al. 2021. Disocactus in Cactaceae at Caryophyllales.org. A global synthesis of species diversity in the angiosperm order Caryophyllales. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2021 Dec 21. Reference page.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2021. Disocactus in Kew Science Plants of the World online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2021 Dec 21. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2021. Disocactus. Published online. Accessed: Dec 21 2021.
Tropicos.org 2021. Disocactus. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2021 Dec 21.
Hassler, M. 2021. Disocactus. World Plants: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World In: Roskovh, Y., Abucay, L., Orrell, T., Nicolson, D., Bailly, N., Kirk, P., Bourgoin, T., DeWalt, R.E., Decock, W., De Wever, A., Nieukerken, E. van, Zarucchi, J. & Penev, L., eds. 2021. Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2021 Dec 21. Reference page.

Vernacular names
lietuvių: Skridinaitis
português: Heliocereus
svenska: Solkaktussläktet
中文: 令箭荷花属

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.[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]

Taxonomy
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]

Bonifazia Standl. & Steyerm.
Chiapasia Britton & Rose
Heliocereus (A.Berger) Britton & Rose
Lobeira Alexander
Nopalxochia Britton & Rose
Pseudonopalxochia Backeb.
Wittia K.Schum.
Wittiocactus Rauschert

Pseudorhipsalis is sometimes included in Disocactus, but it is kept separate by the International Cactaceae Systematics Group.[1] Aporocactus is formerly included in Disocactus, but it should be a genus on its own according to molecular evidence.[3][4]
Species

As of March 2021, Plants of the World Online accepted the following species:[5]

Scientific name	Distribution	Image
Disocactus ackermannii (Haw.) Ralf Bauer	Mexico (Veracruz and Oaxaca)
Disocactus anguliger (Lem.) M.Á.Cruz & S.Arias	Mexico
Disocactus aurantiacus (Kimnach) Barthlott	Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico
Disocactus biformis (Lindl.) Lindl.	Guatemala, Honduras
Disocactus crenatus (Lindl.) M.Á.Cruz & S.Arias	Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras
Disocactus eichlamii (Weing.) Britton & Rose	Guatemala
Disocactus kimnachii G.D.Rowley	Costa Rica
Disocactus lepidocarpus (F.A.C.Weber) M.Á.Cruz & S.Arias	Costa Rica to Panama
Disocactus lodei Véliz, L.Velásquez & R.Puente	Mexico (Chiapas)
Disocactus macdougallii (Alexander) Barthlott	Mexico (Chiapas)
Disocactus macranthus (Alexander) Kimnach & Hutchison	Mexico (Oaxaca)
Disocactus nelsonii (Britton & Rose) Linding.	Mexico (Chiapas)
Disocactus phyllanthoides (DC.) Barthlott	Mexico (Pueblo, Veracruz-Llave)
Disocactus quezaltecus (Standl. & Steyerm.) Kimnach	Guatemala
Disocactus salvadorensis Cerén, J.Menjívar & S.Arias	El Salvador
Disocactus speciosus (Cav.) Barthlott	Guatemala, Mexico

Cultivation
Main article: Epiphyllum hybrid
References

Anderson, Edward F. (2001), The Cactus Family, Portland, Oregon: Timber Press, ISBN 978-0-88192-498-5, pp. 221–226
Anderson, Edward F. (2001), The Cactus Family, Portland, Oregon: Timber Press, ISBN 978-0-88192-498-5, p. 286
Cruz, Miguel Ángel; Arias, Salvador; Terrazas, Teresa (2016-04-01). "Molecular phylogeny and taxonomy of the genus Disocactus (Cactaceae), based on the DNA sequences of six chloroplast markers". Willdenowia. 46 (1): 145–164. doi:10.3372/wi.46.46112. ISSN 0511-9618. S2CID 87086656.
Korotkova, Nadja; Borsch, Thomas; Arias, Salvador (2017-11-03). "A phylogenetic framework for the Hylocereeae (Cactaceae) and implications for the circumscription of the genera". Phytotaxa. 327 (1): 1–46. doi:10.11646/phytotaxa.327.1.1. ISSN 1179-3163.
"Disocactus Lindl". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2021-03-07.