Hello all I was just wondering if someone could help me identify these plants so I can take care of them properly. Thanks in advance!
I believe that second one might be Zygo Cactus or Christmas/Holiday Cactus as Mrsubjuntive said. I have a beautiful one about to start blooming on my patio.
Per Sunset Garden Book Family - Cactaceae Tribe - Rhipsaledeae Genus - Schlumbergera As far as I am concerned there are two types - per their leaves. Horned which tend to have asterish looking flowers and the smoother ovoid leaves which tend to have a blossom more like an elongated snap dragon. Sunset says they are Epiphytic - grows in tree branches. The common names such as C-mas or Easter etc. seem to be indicatative of when they bloom, not which one. This is one confusing group. Just call them all Schlumbergera and I think you'll at least be in the ball park....barb
Easter cactus belong to a different genus, Hatiora (sometimes Rhipsalidopsis). The plant in the photo is a Schlumbergera.
Mandarin, Thank you for that info. How do you tell the Schlumbergera from the Rhipsalidopsis I thought (as I said above) that one had horned leaf sections and one had more ovate, leaf sections. One has an asterish flower and one has the snapdragonish flower. Do the shapes of the leaves dictate the type of flower? And just where does Zygocactus come in? Please help me figure out which is which. I had one come into the plant clinic today that has fat more round leaf sections and tiny horns at the top. From the very faded flower she brought in it appears to be the old fasioned C-mas cactus that is no longer redily available. Thanks in advance. ;)) barb
Mine looks just like yours (with horny growths), and it was clearly labeled Zygo which I am pretty sure is Schlumbergera. Rhipsalidopsis has very different blooms. Here is an interesting link I found. http://www.1er-jardin.com/PHYLLOCACTUS,207
Yep! I just looked at the only one of mine that still has it's tag and it too is labled Zygocactus (Schlumbergera). I looked up the order and it reads: Family - Cactaceae Genus - Schlumbergergera Then species - Lots and lots No mention of Zygocactus. Could this be the Big Guys renaming things willy nilly? Yes I do realize they have good reasons, but like most OLD people I hate changes! Your link answered a lot of my questions - Thank you....barb
Zygocactus is a deprecated name, I don't remember why at the moment. Cactus collectors have not used it for a long time, but the name is still often used among non-specialists, typically combined with other outdated names like bridgesii. The flowers are very different, but once you get used to them it is easy to tell Easter and Thanksgiving/Christmas cacti apart even without flowers present. Schlumbergera are stiffer, with harder segments and joints. They have "teeth" along the margin, and even if there are no sharp points there is always at least a very blunt, rounded version present. The plant in the photo is a good example of the latter. Easter cactus have smoother margins. There are some good drawings here.
Here is a good link I came across while looking for good pictures. http://www.humeseeds.com/xmasccts.htm
But how will you keep your plants at 50 F (= 10 C) during Sept and Oct in Vancouver? It is 25 C outside today.
I suggest that you take the "information" in that link with a big pinch of salt. The text seems to be a mix of excerpts from old textbooks and semi-myths with some real facts here and there. For example, some Schlumbergera get the "wrong" flower colour if kept at temperatures that low. A moderate temperature decrease may be beneficial for flowering, but in my experience it is one of the less important factors. I have never given mine any "rest" period either, it does not seem necessary at all, and some very experienced growers even claim that it is detrimental to the plant. The author also believes that Easter and Christmas cacti belong to the same genus. Well, he is a gardener and not a cactus expert ...
