Christmas Cactus
by Sylvia Thornton
Title
Christmas Cactus
Artist
Sylvia Thornton
Medium
Photograph - Photograph Digital
Description
From Wikipedia:
In the wild, the species of Schlumbergera grow either on trees (epiphytic) or on rocks (epilithic) and can form sizeable shrubs with woody bases; a height of up to 1.2 m (4 ft) has been reported for one species (S. opuntioides).[1] They are leafless, the green stems acting as photosynthetic organs. The stems are composed of segments, which take one of two forms. In most species the segments are strongly flattened (cladodes), being made up of a central core with two (or more rarely three) "wings". Special structures characteristic of cacti, called "areoles", then occur at the ends of the segments of the stem. In two species the stems are less flattened, more cylinder-shaped, and the areoles are arranged in a more or less spiral pattern all over the segments. In both cases, the areoles, which may have wool and bristles, are where the flower buds appear.
Flower cut in half vertically with the base to the left; the bases of the tepals form a kind of tube, the upper parts bending away from the tube; the stamens run the full length of the flower from left to right and emerge from the end; some start at the very base of the flower, others start from further along to the right, being joined to a tepal.
Zygomorphic flower, probably of a cultivar in the S. Truncata Group, cut in half to show its internal structure
The flowers either hang downwards and are almost regular (radially symmetrical or actinomorphic) or, as in most species, are held more or less horizontally with the higher side of the flower different from the lower side (radially asymmetrical or zygomorphic). In those species whose flowers are held up, their angle with the horizontal is relatively constant and is characteristic of the species. Each flower has 20�30 tepals. The outer tepals � those closer to the base of the flower � are short and unconnected, and spread out or curve backwards. The inner tepals � those towards the tip of the flower � are longer and become progressively more fused together at the base to form a floral tube. In some species the difference between the outer and inner tepals creates the appearance of a "flower within a flower". The flowers produce nectar in a chamber at the base of the floral tube.
The many stamens are arranged in two series, which is a distinctive characteristic of the genus. The inner stamens are fused at the base to form a short tubular structure. The outer stamens arise from along the floral tube. The style is usually dark red and has a stigma with 6�8 lobes; the style plus stigma is roughly the same length as the stamens. If the flower is fertilized, a fleshy fruit forms, either smooth or with ribs. The brown or black seeds are about 1 mm in diameter.
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November 29th, 2013
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