''Hatiora salicornioides'', the bottle cactus, dancing-bones, drunkard's-dream, or spice cactus, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

in the

cactus A cactus (, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae, a family comprising about 127 genera with some 1750 known species of the order Caryophyllales. The word ''cactus'' derives, through Latin, from the Ancient Gree ...

family. A member of the tribe

Rhipsalideae The Rhipsalideae are a small tribe of cacti, comprising four genera (and around 60 species). They grow on trees (epiphytes) or on rocks ( lithophytes), where they either hang down or form creeping or upright shrubs. Their flowers open in the day ...

, it often grows as an epiphyte. It is native to eastern

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

. It is sometimes grown both indoors and outdoors as an ornamental.

Description

''Hatiora salicornioides'' grows to about tall with an erect to pendent growth habit. Its stems are composed of segments long. Each segment is shaped like a club or bottle, with the narrower end at the base. The stems branch from the end of a segment, with up to six branches forming a whorl. The yellow to orange flowers are borne at the ends of younger stem segments, and are long and about the same across when open. Translucent white berries follow the flowers. Hatiora salicomioides - JBM.jpg, Growth habit in cultivation Hatiora salicornioides ies2.jpg, Branching

Taxonomy

The species was first described by Adrian H. Haworth in 1819, as ''Rhipsalis salicornioides''. Haworth had actually spelt the epithet "''salicornoides''"; subsequent authors have corrected the spelling, treating the original as an orthographic error. The epithet means "similar to ''

Salicornia ''Salicornia'' is a genus of succulent, halophytic (salt tolerant) flowering plants in the family Amaranthaceae that grow in salt marshes, on beaches, and among mangroves. ''Salicornia'' species are native to North America, Europe, Central Asia, ...

''". The species was placed under the genus ''Hatiora'' in 1915, after previously belonging to the “lost” (and ultimately, abandoned) genus of ''Hariota''. Molecular phylogenetic studies have confirmed its placement in the correct genus, and also in the tribe

, showing a close relation to '' H. cylindrica'' (which has been considered synonymous with ''H. salicornioides'', as a cultivar/form or variety). ''H. salicornioides'' is highly variable, as many succulent plants can be, and may possibly include other distinct species.

Distribution and habitat

''Hatiora salicornioides'' is found slightly inland of the oceanic coastal regions of Brazil, in states that are the nearest to the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

, although it is not typically found directly at sea level. This home range encompasses most of the eastern, northeastern, southeastern, and southern areas of Brazil’s lengthy coastline. States and regions where these plants are known to be found include

Bahia Bahia ( , , ; meaning "bay") is one of the 26 states of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region of the country. It is the fourth-largest Brazilian state by population (after São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Rio de Janeiro) and the 5th-largest b ...

Espírito Santo Espírito Santo (, , ; ) is a state in southeastern Brazil. Its capital is Vitória, and its largest city is Serra. With an extensive coastline, the state hosts some of the country's main ports, and its beaches are significant tourist attra ...

Minas Gerais Minas Gerais () is a state in Southeastern Brazil. It ranks as the second most populous, the third by gross domestic product (GDP), and the fourth largest by area in the country. The state's capital and largest city, Belo Horizonte (literally ...

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a ...

state,

São Paulo São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for ' Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the Ga ...

state and Paraná, in the south. This vast (and fragile) stretch of land contains dense and relatively still-in-tact forest habitats, burgeoning with endemic flora and fauna. The high rate of growth and large number of unique plants is attributed to the generally constant year-round temperatures, combined with high ambient humidity (of the rivers, fog, and dew, in addition to regular rain showers/storms). In these jungles, the limbs of trees are some of the best places to find these epiphytic cacti, where they typically are utilising the tree structures as a permanent, communal home with other plant species. Each internode (part of the plant where each leaf connects with the next) of the cactus will send out sticky, aerial roots to anchor and adhere the plant to the growing surface. Once stability is achieved, the plants gradually grow and transform over time, moving slowly upwards towards the sunlight. Every available space is used to its maximum potential in these productive rainforests, with the plant-laden trees giving an almost “dripping” appearance. Their branches and trunks serve as a home for epiphytic species, often being completely covered with various tropical cacti, ferns, orchids, bromeliads,

aroids The Araceae are a family of monocotyledonous flowering plants in which flowers are borne on a type of inflorescence called a spadix. The spadix is usually accompanied by, and sometimes partially enclosed in, a spathe (or leaf-like bract). Also k ...

, mosses,

Peperomia ''Peperomia'' is one of the two large genera of the family Piperaceae. It is estimated that there are at least over 1,000 species, occurring in all tropical and subtropical regions of the world. They are concentrated in northern South America an ...

, and more. In addition to thriving in moist forest, these diminutive cacti are also found growing on trees in the more open

savanna A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland- grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to ...

habitats, rocky outcrops, humid canyons, as well as montane regions, at elevations of . It is seldom, if ever, found rooted into the ground, and nearly always found growing epiphytically or as a

lithophyte Lithophytes are plants that grow in or on rocks. They can be classified as either epilithic (or epipetric) or endolithic; epilithic lithophytes grow on the surfaces of rocks, while endolithic lithophytes grow in the crevices of rocks (and are als ...

. However, over the course of many years, a mature plants’ roots will end up growing in many directions; this includes horizontally, vertically, as well as down, touching the ground and soil. A large plant, with roots extending down from the treetops, will gain additional nutrition from the soil, while remaining firmly anchored in place.

Cultivation

''Hatiora salicornioides'' is grown as an

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that ...

. It requires some humidity, and is not frost-tolerant. Light shade and a minimum average temperature of are recommended. Given these conditions, it has been successfully cultivated outside in

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1,608,139 residents as of 2020. It is the fifth-most populous city in the United States, and the on ...

. In climates with lower winter temperatures, it is cultivated in greenhouses or as a house plant. It is propagated by stem cuttings. In the UK ''Hatiora salicornioides'' has gained the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nor ...

's Award of Garden Merit.

References

External links