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And here is the most developed stage of the blossoming, the petals folded backwards, it is around midnight.

The bloom appears very small compared to the floral tube which is about 12 cm (4,7 in.) long and of which we see only one small piece here.

The bloom is scented, I do not remember any more if the perfume resembled that of vanilla or jasmine.

In a few hours, the bloom will be closed and definitively faded. In the small hours, it will be completely faded.

Will the flower make fruits? Will they mature? Will they contain viable seeds? At the time when I am writing (October), only one fruit did not fall through, it is like a small ribbed green olive. I will finish the series by the photograph of the ripe fruit and its seeds, if all that occurs.

At least we could observe a complete blossoming after 3 years of unfruitful tests.

All these photographs having been obtained, I wondered about the origin of this monstrous form: is it natural, artificial? If it is artificial, how was it obtained? I found no answer, neither in reference books, nor on the Internet.

Then I sent the photographs to several botanists of reputation. None of them could give me a very precise answer.

It is commonly agreed that it is probably a natural mutation of an Epiphyllum phyllanthus.

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