Well I know what they AREN'T......

"Epis" is an ambigous word, some people seem to use it for "epiphytes", other for "Epiphyllum". I never use it myself.

The hybrids are not true Epiphyllum, they are more properly called x Epiphyllum, to indicate the cross-breeding with other genera.

It's extremely difficult to give a plant on a photo a specific hybrid name, the last time I saw the number of registered hybrids it was something like 10,000-15,000, but that was many years ago. Why not just call them Epiphyllum hybrids? People with basic knowledge about these plants will know instantly what you mean.

 

This may sound odd, but Trose, I want to thank you for throwing doubt into the conversation. More opinions and options raise the probablility of actually identifying what my little family heirloom is. It's very true that getting anywhere near this plant of mine is like hugging a porcupine, it's impossible to come away without being pricked at least a few times.

Dana, I don't think I've ever seen a slug in Montana. I'm sure there must be some, but they can't be happy about it. This morning the humidity is rather high at 38%, but I also have several very large aquaria in my house, and that tends to moisten the air in my home quite a bit.

Unfortunately, Mandarin, in this particular case I think waiting to see the flower before deciding what it is would be like waiting for the Sphinx's nose to return before deciding who carved it. I have heard family rumours that this plant bloomed long, long ago, but have never seen it bloom myself, and I've had it for eight years now. I really doubt I ever WILL see it bloom if I don't know how to correctly care for it. I don't see how I can know how to correctly care for it if I don't know what it is. If I can't know what it is until it blooms, that's a beautiful 3-part Catch-22.

<ponder>Would that be a Catch-33, I wonder?</ponder>

 

Absolutely "Gorgeous" Flowers!!!!


I'm thinking #1 might be, Crassula argentea 'Hobbit'.

http://msuplants.com/pd_bigpic.asp?pid=3810&pic_id=pic4

 

Not the perfect climate for these plants, they come from tropical areas.

You know approximately what it is, and the treatment of these Epiphyllum/Disocactus etc. is approximately the same. I have not grown one in a while, but filtered light, humidity, a small pot and an open compost suit them. If I remember right they should not be repotted until after the blooming season, they flower better if pot-bound.

 

I have read that some orchids need a very specific difference between day & nite temp too.

I have seen blossoms on cacti I have never seen bloom before I kept them where they would get that cooler nite temp.
Doesn't mean near freezing but maybe a diff of 8 -10 degrees may be enough.

Whatever it is, it is still a cactus.


D

 

Old and young looking very different from each other.
All are pinks. The first 2 are the same plant in a 2 gal. Few blooms for a plant that size so I divided it this spring.
The hanging one looks like a different plant but is a 2yr. cutting from the larger one.
It has more long thin sections due, I think, to a time of growth where it had lower than desired light.

D

 

So yes, that younger pink above, even all strung out like that, bloomed quite freely, being pot bound and kept cold over winter. The pink's foliage does seem to narrow and fill as it receives more or less light. Seen this for years now.The older one, tho full is not as big as it might have been so I think the soil was a bit off.
The big red on the 6' ladder bloomed July 1st '06 that year, the first blooms of any consequence I had seen in years as I had kept it colder only thru the previous winter as I had gotten tired of keeping plants that did not bloom indoors.
Lots of big floppy flowers, the plant having many flat wide leaves, different from the pink one.
I left them too cold in '07 where they died back, did not bloom at all in '08 and bloomed marvelously this year except for the red which has now been taken apart & segments re-potted for donation to charity when they bloom next year - I hope !
I'll let u know if they do set buds next June.

I don't care if i know their individual names.
I am only glad to know that I can still go on calling them some sort of epi, x or no, matters not to me but if I meet anyone who cares, I will now be able to cast doubt in their mind. ;)

D

 

After reading this thread, where can you get a true epiphyllum? I was going to purchase one or two rooted plants off ebay myself.