About
Also known by common names like bottle cactus, dancing-bones, or spice cactus, *Hatiora salicornioides* is a striking epiphytic cactus that grows to about 1 meter tall. It is highly valued as an ornamental plant for its unique, club-shaped segments and vibrant yellow to orange flowers.
Field notes
Morphology
The plant grows to about 1 m tall with an erect to pendent habit. Its stems are composed of segments 1.5–5 cm long, shaped like a club or bottle with the narrow end at the base. Branches form a whorl of up to six segments. Flowers are yellow to orange, measuring 1–2 cm long and about the same across when open, followed by translucent white berries.
Distribution & habitat
Found along the coast and slightly inland of the Southeast Region of Brazil, specifically in states including Bahia, Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Paraná. It is typically found growing arboreally or as a lithophyte, rather than rooted in the ground.
Cultivation notes
It is an ornamental plant that requires humidity and is not frost-tolerant. It prefers light shade and a minimum average temperature of 12 °C (54 °F), and is propagated by stem cuttings.
History & etymology
First described by Adrian H. Haworth in 1819, initially as *Rhipsalis salicornoides*. The epithet means "similar to Salicornia." It was placed under the genus *Hatiora* in 1915.
Habitat
- Altitude
- —
- Altitude Class
- —
- Native To
- Brazil
Cultivation
- Difficulty
- intermediate
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