* EPICACTUS WITH SMALL *
* DELICATE FLOWERS *
* AND/OR UNUSUAL *
* FLOWERING PERIODS *
___________________________________
Page 1/10
You can surf from one page to the next one or the previous one using the buttons
<=
or
=>
placed at the bottom of each page
______________________________________
On this website, I've already presented Epicactus (formerly hybrid Epiphyllum) that flower even in winter.
I'm going to continue and complete this subject by talking about all the Epicactus in my collection, having at least one of the three parents I'm going to present.
.
Like their three ancestors, all these Epicactus have two distinctive features:
1▲- Small, delicate flowers often fragrant, with thin petals.
2▲- Unusual flowering periods: winter or early spring.
Remember that I'm in the Northern Hemisphere, near Paris, at around 48° North latitude.
In this part of the world, Epicactus usually bloom from late spring to summer.
Winter is cold (temperatures often below 0°C), grey and wet. Epiphytic cacti tend to be dormant and do not flower in winter.
THE THREE "HISTORICAL" PARENTS
1- Disocactus macranthus
Disocactus macranthus (photo: Alain Laroze)
This is a botanical species. It is an epiphytic cactus native to the Oaxaca region of Mexico.
It grows at altitudes of between 500 and 700 meters, and requires subdued sunlight and a temperature not falling below around 7°C.
It does not like direct sun, which burns its narrow stems.
Its small, delicate flowers measure around 6 cm in diameter and are often very pleasantly scented.
In my collection, it blooms in autumn and winter.
This year, I observed the first flower on January 15 and many buds were about to open in a few days' time.
Disocactus macranthus has been used extensively in the creation of new Epicactus varieties whose flowers have the above-mentioned characteristics 1▲ and/or 2▲.
=>
_______________
_________________________________________