Selenicereus grandiflorus - "Queen of the Night" Orchid Cacti

taken from Joseph Dougherty's pictures at www.ecology.org

http://www.ecology.org/orchids/index5.html

Selenicereus (Britton & Rose 1909)

Selenicereus are native to tropical America. Species are spread throughout the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, and into the northwest corner of South America.

The first species from this genus known to Europeans was Selenicereus grandiflorus, originally named Cactus grandiflorus by Linnaeus in 1753 and subsequently renamed Cereus grandiflorus by Miller in 1768. Nathaniel Lord Britton and Joseph Nelson Rose (giants in the world of cactus taxonomy) created the genus Selenicereus in 1909. This separated these vining cacti from the genus Cereus (meaning "wax taper"), which has an upright, columnar growth habit. The prefix "Seleni" refers to the moon, in allusion to their nocturnal blooms, which are very large and full bodied.

Selenicereus species are climbing cacti. Most are "functional epiphytes," meaning they can thrive either as an epiphyte or a terrestial plant. The stems send out adventitiousroots to clasp their support plants. The flowers are very large (S. grandiflorus blossoms may be over 12 inches wide) and immensely showy, pollinated in the wild by bats and large moths. These truly live up to their name: "Queen of the Night."

These plants put on a spectacular show, for those who are willing to lose a little sleep to experience the event. In mid summer, Selenicereus produce hairy buds that grow rapidly. Then one evening, the buds swell and expand. By midnight, the vines are covered in spectacular flowers. Many species are fragrant. By daybreak, the flowers are beginning to sag, by early morning they are quite tired, and well before noon they are completely closed and spent. On an overcast morning you might get a longer run, but for the most part these are truly noctural bloomers. This ephemeral display of beauty may be repeated several times over the course of the summer, depending on how old and how large your plant is.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Selenicereus
• grandiflorus
• Queen
• of
• the
• Night
• Orchid
• Cacti