Holiday cacti blooms

Well, i thought I'd post for once. The Schlumbergera truncata bloomed in January, the Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri are in bloom right now. Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri was formerly Hatiora gaertneri but was removed from Hatiora and now included in Schlumbergera from recent phylogenetic studies, but an alternate taxonomy approach considers them separate in the genus Rhipsalidopsis with two species, gaertneri and rosea. There are noticable differences in the genera including different flower symmetry and the fact they close at night, (Schlumbergera don't) as well as foliar differences. Rhipsalidopsis have softer rounder stems with no points and have more "spines". I like to keep them separate because they are visually different but the care is pretty much the same however Rhipsalidopsis are less hardy/forgiving ime. Please know these are epiphytic rainforest cacti so their requirements are different from arid desert cacti.

In order, Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri cv pink, red, magenta, Schlumbergera truncata cv magenta, peach/salmon.
Note the differences in the flowers, and the pointy leaves of S. truncata.

 

I really like epiphytic cacti as well. That sucks to hear, hylocereus (i think that's what dragon fruit are called now but they could be back to selenicereus) really can't take cold. I have some epiphyllums and hylocereus and others as well as other colors of schlumbergera (my favorite is a pure white one, only one I've seen in person and i managed to get a cutting from the owner) i might post when they bloom. I've had these Schlumbergera for years since before i got into orchids they were cuttings from my mom. They always bloom reliably every year so i usually don't take notice enough to take photos but when my easter cacti started blooming quite a show i thought I might post them.

 

Correction, checking back they bloomed through pretty much all of December and late November.
Also here's another pic of the hot pink easter cactus with some nice hdr.