Schlumbergera truncata

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

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

Familia: Cactaceae
Subfamilia: Cactoideae
Tribus: Rhipsalideae
Genus: Schlumbergera
Subgenus: S. subg. Schlumbergera
Species: Schlumbergera truncata
Name

Schlumbergera truncata (Haw.) Moran, Gentes Herbarum 8: 329. 1953.

Type: cult. Hort. Kew., 1818, not known to have been preserved
Neotype (designated by Barthlott, W. & Taylor, N. P. 1995: 751): [icon.] Hooker, Exotic Flora 1: tab. 20. 1822 - illustration of a plant sent from Kew by Aiton

Synonyms

Epiphyllum truncatum Haw., Suppl. Pl. Succ.: 85. 1819 syn. sec. Barthlott & Taylor 1995
Cactus truncatus (Haw.) Link in Enum. Hort. Berol. Alt. 2: 24. 1822 syn. sec. Barthlott & Taylor 1995
Cereus truncatus (Haw.) Sweet in Hort. Brit. 1: 172. 1826 syn. sec. Barthlott & Taylor 1995
Zygocactus truncatus (Haw.) K.Schum., Fl. Bras. 4(2): 224. 1890 syn. sec. Barthlott & Taylor 1995
Epiphyllum altensteinii Pfeiff., Enum. Diagn. Cact.: 128. 1837 syn. sec. Barthlott & Taylor 1995
Epiphyllum truncatum var. altensteinii (Pfeiff.) Lem., Cact. Gen. Sp. Nov.: 76. 1839 syn. sec. Britton & Rose 1923
Zygocactus altensteinii (Pfeiff.) K.Schum., Fl. Bras. 4(2): 225. 1890 syn. sec. Barthlott & Taylor 1995
Schlumbergera truncata var. altensteinii (Pfeiff.) Moran in Gentes Herbarum 8(4): 330. 1953 syn. sec. IPNI
Epiphyllum smithianum Marnock in Floric. Cab. & Florists Mag. 8: t. 13. 1840 syn. sec. WFO 2019
Epiphyllum purpurascens Lem., Hort. Universel 2: 349. 1841 syn. sec. Barthlott & Taylor 1995
Epiphyllum elegans Cels ex C.F.Först., Handb. Cacteenk.: 446. 1846 syn. sec. WFO 2019
Epiphyllum ruckeri Paxton in Paxtons Mag. Bot. 12: 46. 1846 syn. sec. WFO 2019
Epiphyllum violaceum Cels ex C.F.Först., Handb. Cacteenk.: 446. 1846 syn. sec. WFO 2019
Epiphyllum bridgesii Lem. in Ill. Hort. 8: Misc. 5. 1861 syn. sec. Barthlott & Taylor 1995
Epiphyllum truncatum var. bridgesii (Lem.) Rümpler, Handb. Cacteenk., ed. 2: 870. 1885 syn. sec. ???
Schlumbergera bridgesii (Lem.) Loefgr. in Arch. Jard. Bot. Rio de Janeiro 2: 32. 1918 syn. sec. Barthlott & Taylor 1995
Zygocactus bridgesii (Lem.) Linding. in Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 61A: 378. 1942 syn. sec. IPNI
Epiphyllum ruckerianum Lem. in Ill. Hort. 8: Misc. 5. 1861 syn. sec. WFO 2019
Epiphyllum truncatum var. cruentum T.Br. in Gard. Chron. 1864: 318. 1864 syn. sec. Kew WCVP (2019)
Epiphyllum truncatum var. magnificum T.Br. in Gard. Chron. 1864: 318. 1864 syn. sec. Kew WCVP (2019)
Epiphyllum truncatum var. spectabile T.Br. in Gard. Chron. 1864: 318. 1864 syn. sec. Kew WCVP (2019)
Epiphyllum guedneyrii Houllet in Rev. Hort. 47: 230. 1875 syn. sec. WFO 2019
Epiphyllum salmoneum Cels ex K.Schum., Gesamtbeschr. Kakt.: 223. 1897 syn. sec. WFO 2019
Epiphyllum delicatum N.E.Br. in Gard. Chron. III 1902(2): 411. 1902 syn. sec. Barthlott & Taylor 1995
Zygocactus delicatus (N.E.Br.) Britton & Rose in Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 16: 260. 1913 syn. sec. Barthlott & Taylor 1995
Zygocactus truncatus var. delicatus (N.E.Br.) Backeb. & F.M.Knuth, Kaktus-ABC: 160. 1936 ["1935"] syn. sec. IPNI
Schlumbergera truncata var. delicata (N.E.Br.) Moran in Gentes Herbarum 8(4): 330. 1953 syn. sec. Barthlott & Taylor 1995
Epiphyllum truncatum var. wagneri Rol.-Goss. ex Guillaumin in Bull. Mus. Natl. Hist. Nat., sér. 2, 4: 1032. 1932 syn. sec. WFO 2019

Distribution
Native distribution areas:
References
Primary references

Moran, R.V. (1953) Gentes Herbarum 8: 329.

Additional references

McMillan, A.J.S. & Horobin, J.F. (1995) Christmas Cacti. The genus Schlumbergera and its hybrids. Milborne Port.
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. Schlumbergera truncata in Cactaceae at Caryophyllales.org. A global synthesis of species diversity in the angiosperm order Caryophyllales. Published online. Accessed: 2021 Dec 29. Reference page.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2021. Schlumbergera truncata in Kew Science Plants of the World online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2021 Mar 03. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2021. Schlumbergera truncata. Published online. Accessed: Mar 03 2021.
Tropicos.org 2021. Schlumbergera truncata. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published online. Accessed: 03 Mar 2021.
Hassler, M. 2021. Schlumbergera truncata. 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 online. Accessed: 2021 Mar 03. Reference page.
USDA, ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network. Schlumbergera truncata in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Accessed: 2021 Mar 03.

Vernacular names
dansk: Helligdagskaktus
Deutsch: Weihnachtskakteen
English: Holiday Cactus
suomi: Marraskuunkaktus
hrvatski: Zygocactus truncatus
한국어: 게발선인장
português: Flor-de-maio
svenska: Novemberkaktus

Schlumbergera truncata, the false Christmas cactus,[1] is a species of plant in the family Cactaceae. It is endemic to a small area of the coastal mountains of south-eastern Brazil where its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist forests. It is the parent or one of the parents of the houseplants called Christmas cactus, Thanksgiving cactus or zygocactus, among other names.

Description

Schlumbergera truncata resembles other species of the genus Schlumbergera in that it has leafless green stems which act as photosynthetic organs. The stems (cladodes) are composed of strongly flattened segments, which have two or three "teeth" of varying shapes along their edges and at the ends. The ends of the stems are "cut off" (truncated) rather than pointed. Individual segments are about 4–6 cm (1.6–2.4 in) long by 1.5–3.5 cm (0.6–1.4 in) wide.[2]

Special structures characteristic of cacti, called "areoles", occur between two teeth at the end of segments. The areoles, which have brown wool and bristles up to 3 mm (0.1 in) long, are where the flower buds appear. The flowers are held at a constant angle somewhat above the horizontal with the higher side different from the lower side (zygomorphic, specifically bilaterally symmetrical). The flowers are about 6.5–8 cm (2.6–3.1 in) long by 4–6 cm (1.6–2.4 in) across. There are six to eight tepals, which may be of various colours, including shades of red, orange, pink and white. The outer tepals (those at the base of the flower) are shorter and bent backwards, the inner tepals are longer and fused together at the base to form a floral tube; nectar is produced at the base of this tube. The lower inner petals are bent backwards so that the upper inner petals appear longer. Plants flower in the autumn: around May in their natural habitat, in October to November in cultivation in the Northern Hemisphere; short days and long nights are necessary to induce flowering.[2]

A characteristic of the genus Schlumbergera is that the many stamens are arranged in two series: the inner stamens form a ring around the style; the outer stamens arise from the floral tube. The filaments of the stamens are white, the anthers and pollen being yellow. The style has six to eight lobes at its end and is dark red.[2]

When ripe, the fruit is red, pear-shaped, and about 1.2 cm (0.5 in) long or exceptionally up to 2.3 cm (0.9 in) long. The shiny seeds are black, each with a diameter of about 1 mm (0.04 in).[2]
Taxonomy

The epithet truncata means "abruptly cut off", and refers to the shape of the ends of the stems.[3]

The species was first properly named for science by Haworth in 1819 as Epiphyllum truncatum. His name was based on living specimens growing at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in 1818. (However these do not appear to have been preserved, so an illustration published by W.J. Hooker in 1822 was designated as the "neotype" by N.P. Taylor.) Like others in the genus, the species was transferred to Zygocactus by Schumann in 1890, and then to Schlumbergera by Moran in 1953. Some other names in the genus Epiphyllum are now considered to be synonyms of S. truncata.[4]

Synonyms include:[4][5]

Cactus truncatus Hooker, nomen nudum
Epiphyllum truncatum Haw.
Cactus truncatus (Haw.) Link
Cereus truncatus (Haw.) Sweet
Zygocactus truncatus (Haw.) K.Schum.
Epiphyllum altensteinii Pfeif.
Zygocactus altensteinii (Pfeif.) K.Schum.
Epiphyllum delicatum N.E.Br.
Zygocactus delicatum (N.E.Br.) Britton & Rose
Epiphyllum ruckeri Paxton

Epiphyllum bridgesii Lem., Schlumbergera bridgesii (Lem.) Loefgr. and Epiphyllum ruckerianum sensu Lem. have sometimes been treated as synonyms of S. truncata, but are regarded by David Hunt as synonyms of the hybrid S. × buckleyi.[4]
Distribution and habitat

Schlumbergera truncata occurs only in a small area of the coastal mountains of south-east Brazil, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, located in the southernmost part of the tropics. Sites where it has been found include the Organ Mountains (Serra dos Órgãos) in the Parque Nacional da Serra dos Órgãos and in the Serra do Mar near to the city of Rio de Janeiro. Plants grow at altitudes of 700–1,000 metres (2,300–3,300 ft). Because of their altitude and proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, the coastal mountains have high humidity – warm moist air is forced upwards into higher, colder locations where it condenses. S. truncata usually grows on trees (epiphytic),[2] or on rocks (epilythic).[5] The native status of S. truncata has become confused because European cultivars were deliberately introduced into some areas, including the Parque Nacional da Serra dos Órgãos, by the Brazilian Agricultural Department, to compensate for over-collecting of wild plants.[6]
Cultivation

Schlumbergera truncata is mainly grown as cultivars of the species or of its hybrids with other species of the genus, particularly S. russelliana. These plants and their cultivation are discussed at Schlumbergera: Cultivation.
References

USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Schlumbergera truncata". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
McMillan, A.J.S. & Horobin, J.F. (1995), Christmas Cacti : The genus Schlumbergera and its hybrids (p/b ed.), Sherbourne, Dorset: David Hunt, ISBN 978-0-9517234-6-3, pp. 18-23
Coombes, Allen J. (1994), Dictionary of Plant Names, London: Hamlyn Books, ISBN 978-0-600-58187-1, p. 168
Hunt, David (1995), "Appendix I Names and synonyms of the species, subspecies and interspecific hybrids", in McMillan & Horobin 1995, pp. 78–80
Anderson, Edward F. (2001), The Cactus Family, Pentland, Oregon: Timber Press, ISBN 978-0-88192-498-5, p. 625
McMillan & Horobin 1995, pp. 55