Easter cactus

Description

Hatiora is a small genus of epiphytic cacti which belongs to the tribe Rhipsalideae within the subfamily Cactoideae of the Cactaceae. Some Hatiora species are well known and widely cultivated ornamentals, known as Easter cactus or Whitsun cactus. All Hatiora species are found as epiphytes growing on trees or (rarely) lithophytes growing on rocks. They occur only in the tropical rainforests of the Mata Atlântica in south-eastern Brazil. The plants are weakly succulent, growing upright or pendent; spines are usually missing. The flowers are borne terminally; they are actinomorphic (radially symmetrical) and are always coloured. The fruit is a berry. Hatiora species have been divided into two groups or subgenera which are well differentiated by their morphology. Members of subgenus Hatiora have cylindrical stems. They grow more or less upright and become woody at the base of the stems when plants become older. The flowers are small, with a diameter of about 1 cm (0.4 in), and yellow, orange or pink. Members of subgenus Rhipsalidopsis have flattened, weakly succulent, segmented stems. The flowers of this subgenus are large and usually red or pink, but yellow in Hatiora epiphylloides. Hatiora gaertneri and its hybrid with H. rosea, H. × graeseri, are widely grown as ornamental houseplants under the common names Easter Cactus and Whitsun Cactus. The name "chain cactus" is common in New Zealand for Hatiora species, especially those that resemble Schlumbergera (i.e. Hatiora subgenus Rhipsalidopsis), and may also refer to Schlumbergera species.