Hatiora salicornoides

Hatiora salicornoides

Hatiora salicornoides (Haw.) Britton & Rose

An epiphytic or lithophytic cactus from eastern and southern Brazil. Young segments have a characteristic club shape. Comparative examination of older and younger shoots documents formation of cork and pericyclic fibres and variation in wood and pith structure [Lemos and Melo-de-Pinna 2011] [2-WWW].

1 min readUpdated 20 October 2026

Young and older segments

A study of three adult plants from Serra do Cipó, Brazil, compared older and younger stem segments of Hatiora salicornoides, published under H. salicornioides. Young terminal segments were club shaped, whereas older segments were short and cylindrical. The basal regions of older plants developed a cork periderm, while terminal segments retained their photosynthetic function. The epidermis consisted of a single cell layer, with undulating anticlinal walls in both developmental stages [Lemos and Melo-de-Pinna 2011].

Wood and supporting tissues

The cortex contained mucilage secretory cavities. In older stem segments, pericyclic fibres formed a continuous band around the vascular system. Secondary xylem included bands of unlignified parenchyma, while pith cells became lignified in these older regions. Together, these observations show how tissue organization varies within a single plant and help explain anatomical sections taken from segments of different ages [Lemos and Melo-de-Pinna 2011].

From seedling to pendent shoot. Development in epiphytic cacti

Materials from the author's archive

The species also appears in Konrad Szychowski's private material archive [Schumann 1890].

Synonyms and names in the literature

Cactus lyratus · Cactus salicornoides · Cactus trichotomus · Hariota salicornoides · Hariota salicornoides f. gracilior · Hariota salicornoides f. strictior · Hariota salicornoides f. villigera · Hariota salicornoides var. gracilior · Hariota salicornoides var. strictior · Hariota stricta · Hariota villigera · Hatiora bambusoides · Hatiora salicornoides f. bambusoides · Hatiora salicornoides f. villigera · Hatiora salicornoides var. gracilis · Hatiora salicornoides var. stricta · Hatiora salicornoides var. villigera · Rhipsalis lagenaria · Rhipsalis salicornoides · Rhipsalis salicornoides var. bambusoides · Rhipsalis salicornoides var. gracilior · Rhipsalis salicornoides var. gracilis · Rhipsalis salicornoides var. stricta · Rhipsalis salicornoides var. strictior · Rhipsalis salicornoides var. villigera · Rhipsalis villigera · Hatiora salicornioides [2-WWW]

Sources for this account

Article2011

Morpho-anatomical variations during stem development in some epiphytic Cactaceae

Lemos R. C. C. D., Melo-de-Pinna G. F. D. A., Morpho-anatomical variations during stem development in some epiphytic Cactaceae, The Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society, 2011, 138(1):16-25, doi: 10.3159/10-RA-054.1

Comparative anatomical study of older and younger stem segments in four epiphytic cactus species. It describes developmental variation in the epidermis, pericycle, secondary xylem and pith. Unlignified parenchyma occurs in bands in Hatiora wood and in small groups in the examined Rhipsalis species. The authors emphasize the importance of segment age and position when interpreting anatomical characters.

Physiology and anatomyGenusEpiphyllumHatioraLepismiumRhipsalidopsisRhipsalisSchlumbergera

DOI ↗Article or source page ↗

[2-WWW]Source website

Plants of the World Online — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

https://powo.science.kew.org/

Accepted names, synonyms and distribution. A citation beside a taxon leads to its record.

Accessed 2026-10-08.

Book1890

Cactaceae

[Schumann K. M., Cactaceae, Flora brasiliensis, 1890, tom 4, nr 2]

The 1890 Cactaceae treatment in “Flora brasiliensis” presents plant descriptions and classification of that time. The copy comes from Konrad Szychowski's private archive.

Genus

Copy in the supplied material