Field of Science

Friday Fabulous Flower - Cactus

OK in an effort to get a day/date disconnect resolved, TPP thought why not do something unusual like do a FFF on an actual Friday.  People won't expect that.  One of our favorite house plants is in full bloom and it is so very cheerful,  Hatiora salicornioides.  This is a epiphytic or orchid cactus that used to be in the genus Rhipsalis.   The specific epithet is sort of interesting because it means it looks like a well-known halophyte Salicornia.  This particular plant has gotten big, probably 50 lbs big and the largest and oldest stems are quite woody.  At any rate there are hundreds of drooping stems and each one bears a golden yellow flower at its terminus.  Each segment has a slender portion and then a thick succulent portion.  

Now here's an image of some Salicornia growing in a salt marsh at low-tide.  It doesn't look like this very much except for the many segments and the succulence.  


2 comments:

Eric. said...

We were always taught -oides means "looks like", but I always found it convenient to think of it as meaning "-ish". And this one is especially -ish.

Anonymous said...

Dearest Phactor,

I imagine that you are kindness incarnate when it comes to your plants. But if you look at Hatiora salicornioides - especially younger plants - growing in harsh conditions in nature they can be Salicornia-like.

BTW thanks again for all the posts and all the best for you, your family and plants in 2020!
BrianO