Christmas Cactus

Appearance

''Schlumbergera truncata'' resembles other species of the genus ''Schlumbergera'' in that it has leafless green stems which act as photosynthetic organs. The stems 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" rather than pointed. Individual segments are about 4–6 cm long by 1.5–3.5 cm wide.

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 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 . The flowers are about 6.5–8 cm long by 4–6 cm across. There are six to eight tepals, which may be of various colours, including shades of red, orange, pink and white. The outer tepals 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.

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.

When ripe, the fruit is red, pear-shaped, and about 1.2 cm long or exceptionally up to 2.3 cm long. The shiny seeds are black, each with a diameter of about 1 mm .

Distribution

''S. 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 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 . 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 , or on rocks . 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.

Habitat

''S. 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 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 . 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 , or on rocks . 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.