Organisation of the stem surface
Stomata occupy depressions deeper than the notches between ordinary epidermal cells. This produces two levels of relief in cross-section. From the surface, stomatal depressions have circular outlines. A thick cuticle covers the epidermis, as in the other species compared. Distinguishing this stem from Rhipsalis grandiflora involves the relative depth of structures, rather than simply the presence of sunken stomata [Calvente et al. 2008].
Cross-section and interpretation
The vascular cylinder was most often pentagonal or quadrangular and less often circular. Mucilage cavities occurred in the pith, and calcium oxalate crystals were present in the tissues, as in the other examined species. Individual internal characters varied among specimens. The authors therefore treated combinations of characters as identification aids, with epidermal features providing the strongest distinctions among species [Calvente et al. 2008].
The material came from Rio de Janeiro, with only a few individuals examined per species. The findings describe tissues of mature stem segments. They are not an experiment on germination, fertilisation or frost hardiness. Their practical value lies in more precise recognition of plant characters and careful comparison with other Rhipsalis species before assigning information from cultivation literature [Calvente et al. 2008].
Related articles
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
Hariota pentaptera · Hylorhipsalis pentaptera · Rhipsalis pentagona [2-WWW]
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