Rhipsalis baccifera
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| Rhipsalis baccifera (J.S. Mueller) Stearn |
Rhipsalis baccifera or Mistletoe cactus is an Epiphytic cactus which originates from Central and Southern America, Caribbean and Florida. It is also spread throughout the tropics of Africa and Asia. This is the only cactus species naturally occurring outside the New World, although it is believed that R. baccifera was introduced relatively recently to the Old World by migratory birds.
[edit] Naming
The species shows considerable polymorphism and can be divided into numerous subspecies. Mesoamerican specimens are usually tetraploid and South American specimens are diploid. The naming of the species is confusing and a very large number of obsolete names (junior synonyms) exist. These include:
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The genus Cassytha does not even belong to Cactaceae The classification of some Rhipsalis species to Cassytha was an error based on the not dissimilar habitus. The genus Hatiora is closely related to Rhipsalis. Hariota is either a misspelling of the latter (as in de Candolle) or (as by Michel Adanson) a junior synonym of Rhipsalis.
