Badmin: Created page with "{{Taxobox | name = Epiphyllum | image = Epiphyllum_phyllanthus.jpg | kingdom = Plantae | family = Cactaceae | subfamily = Cactoideae | tribe = Phyllocacteae | subtribe = Hylocereinae | genus = '''Epiphyllum''' | authority = Haworth (1812) | notes = Taxonomy follows Joël Lodé (2015). Lodé maintains it as a distinct genus within Hylocereinae. }} == Etymology == The name means "on the leaf," referring to the fact that flowers appear to grow directl..."

2026-04-05T17:00:28Z

Created page with "{{Taxobox | name = Epiphyllum | image = Epiphyllum_phyllanthus.jpg | kingdom = Plantae | family = Cactaceae | subfamily = Cactoideae | tribe = Phyllocacteae | subtribe = Hylocereinae | genus = '''Epiphyllum''' | authority = Haworth (1812) | notes = Taxonomy follows Joël Lodé (2015). Lodé maintains it as a distinct genus within Hylocereinae. }} == Etymology == The name means "on the leaf," referring to the fact that flowers appear to grow directl..."

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{{Taxobox
| name = Epiphyllum
| image = Epiphyllum_phyllanthus.jpg
| kingdom = [[Plantae]]
| family = [[Cactaceae]]
| subfamily = [[Cactoideae]]
| tribe = [[Phyllocacteae]]
| subtribe = [[Hylocereinae]]
| genus = '''Epiphyllum'''
| authority = Haworth (1812)
| notes = Taxonomy follows Joël Lodé (2015). Lodé maintains it as a distinct genus within Hylocereinae.
}}

== Etymology ==
The name means "on the leaf," referring to the fact that flowers appear to grow directly on the leaf-like modified stems (phylloclades).

== Description ==
'''Epiphyllum''' consists of predominantly epiphytic plants with flattened, leaf-like stems.
* '''Stems:''' Flattened phylloclades with variable margins (crenulate, serrate, or lobed); they often feature adventitious roots.
* '''Spines:''' Generally absent in mature specimens.
* '''Flowers:''' Nocturnal, large, and funnel-shaped with very long tubes. They are usually white or pale yellow and intensely fragrant, pollinated by hawk-moths (Sphingidae) and bats.
* '''Fruits:''' Egg-shaped or oblong, fleshy, often with distinct edges.
* '''Seeds:''' Kidney-shaped, black, and shiny, covered in a mucilage envelope. Dispersal is carried out by bats and small primates.

== Habitat ==
Epiphyllum species grow in tropical dry forests and rainforests, primarily as epiphytes in tree hollows where humus accumulates. They are found from sea level up to 2200 m altitude.

== Distribution ==
Extremely widespread across the Americas: [cite: 1011]
* '''North & Central America:''' Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama. [cite: 1011]
* '''South America:''' Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Surinam, Venezuela. [cite: 1011]
* '''Caribbean:''' Various islands including Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and Trinidad & Tobago. [cite: 1011]

== Species ==
Following Lodé (2015) and the synopsis by Bauer (2003), 12 species and 6 subspecies are recognized:

* [[Epiphyllum anguliger]]
* [[Epiphyllum baueri]]
* [[Epiphyllum cartagense]]
* [[Epiphyllum crenatum]]
** [[Epiphyllum crenatum subsp. kimnachii]]
* [[Epiphyllum grandilobum]]
* [[Epiphyllum hookeri]]
** [[Epiphyllum hookeri subsp. columbiense]]
** [[Epiphyllum hookeri subsp. guatemalense]]
** [[Epiphyllum hookeri subsp. pittieri]]
* [[Epiphyllum laui]]
* [[Epiphyllum lepidocarpum]]
* [[Epiphyllum oxypetalum]]
* [[Epiphyllum phyllanthus]]
** [[Epiphyllum phyllanthus subsp. rubrocoronatum]]
* [[Epiphyllum pumilum]]
* [[Epiphyllum thomasianum]]
** [[Epiphyllum thomasianum subsp. costaricense]]

== Taxonomy Note ==
Lodé maintains ''Marniera'' as a separate genus pending further molecular data, noting that while similar to ''Epiphyllum'', the presence of bristles or hairs on the ovary distinguishes it.

Epiphyllum - Revision history