Ripsalidopsis and Schlumbergera: differences, what are the flowers called, similar to the Decembrist, but larger and with longer leaves?

Everyone knows that a cactus - it is prickly, rarely blooms ... And although among them there are terribly pretty, it is still an amateur plant. But in fact, not all cacti are pricked, there are leafy ones, or they are called in another way - forest.

This team includes plants that live in almost every home - sansevieria and the fat girl, popularly known as the money tree. The most beautiful of leaf cacti are flowering. And here the confusion begins. Often on the windowsills you can see a very beautiful plant that attracts the eye and enchants the environment. It is called "Decembrist", "Christmas", "barbaric color." Not everyone will call him correctly. Consider the features of plants in this article.

Which plants are similar to Christmas?

Usually all flowers similar to the Decembrist are united by the common name “Schlumbergera”, not suspecting that this is just one genus from a large number of similar plants. Ripsalidopsis and Schlumbergera - South American rainforests. What are the flowers reminiscent of the Decembrist?

Schlumbergera (Schlumbergera).
Epiphyllum (Epiphyllum).
Hatiora (Hatiora).
Lepismium (Lepismium).

Epiphytic ripsalidopsis and Schlumbergera are called because they live on other plants, but do not feed on the latter. They use them only for support.

Epiphyllum or Epiphyllum (born Epiphyllum) originally from Mexico. It has long leaf-shaped stems of a triangular or flat shape of dark green color. Hard and juicy. Sometimes needles are placed on them.

Epiphyllum flowers are bright:

reds;
purple
white
orange
pink.

For a flower to bear fruit, it must be pollinated. If you do this artificially at home, you can get prickly fruits with strawberry-pineapple aroma, suitable for food.

Some species of Hatiora and Lepismium can also be confused with zygocactus (Christmas tree, Schlumberger). However, these plants are distinguished by the absence of thorns and the presence of a bristly edge on the stems. The last plant is rare, listed in the Red Book.

Very similar to the Decembrist Hator Hartner. Red-raspberry flowers are formed on young shoots. The fruits of ripening plants are yellow or white.

What is the difference between Schlumberger and Ripsalidopsis?

Among forest cacti, ripsalidopsis (Rhipsalidopsis) is widespread. Literally translated from Latin as "wicker-like berry cactus." Consider the similarities and differences of Schlumbergera and Ripsalidopsis.

Origin

Ripsalidopsis and Schlumbergera have one homeland - they come from Brazil. Warm tropical forest and subtropical climate contributes to their distribution almost throughout the territory of South America.

The Decembrist belongs to the genus Schlumberger, named after the French cactus collector Frederic Schlumberger, sometimes called Zygocactus. Ripsolidopsis was recently assigned to the genus Hatiora. Previously, he was part of the Ripsalidopsis genus of the same name.

Appearance

Ripsalidopsis is a not very large epiphytic evergreen shrub and is directly related to the cactus family.

Ripsalidopsis has long hanging branches and bright green leaves.. The segments of the stems are wavy and smooth, spines in the form of thick bristles are preserved on them. Schlumbergera have sharp, jagged edges, without thorns. The sizes of the segments in the plants are the same: 2.5-3 cm wide and 5-6 cm long. Branches are up to 50 cm long.

The shape of the flower is different, which can be called the defining difference of plants from each other. Schluberger flowers are elongated, with a short tube, as if slightly cut. And the flowers of Ripsalidopsis are star-shaped, with a clear symmetry, having an even corolla. But they are often larger than that of zigocactus and reach up to 4 cm in diameter. In the latter, flowers appear at the ends of shoots from the apical areoles, in the Easter cactus, along the entire length of the segment, on the side.

Ripsalidopsis and Schlumbergera are epiphytes. They are low branching shrubs up to 40 cm high. Their root system is weak, but aerial roots are well developed.

The variety of colors is not inferior to each other: they distinguish red, pink, white, yellow, orange, purple, purple and other colors and shades of plants.

Bloom

If the Decembrist blooms in winter, in November - January, then ripsalidopsis blooms in spring in March-April. Therefore, it received the name "Easter cactus." Both plants bloom for 4-5 weeks. The rest period in ripsalidopsis is observed in autumn and winter, before flowering. Schlumbergera, on the other hand, has a rest in spring, after she decorates the winter months with her flowers (read more about Schlumberger flowering here). Both plants live for about 20-25 years.

There are many species and varieties bred by breeders, both one and the other plants. The most famous Schlumberger species:

Schlumbergera truncated.
Schlumberger boulevard.
Schlumberger Gartner.
Schlumbergera russeliana.

Ripsalidopsis has much less hybrids than a Christmas tree. The most widely used are: Ripsalidopsis Gartner and Ripsalidopsis pink.

Maintenance and care

Caring for Ripsalidopsis and Schlumberger consists in following certain rules:

Temperature. In winter, it should be in the range of 16-18 degrees, in the summer, preferably not higher than 25-26 degrees. On the hottest days, they should seek cooler shelter.
Shine. The illumination of the place where the flowers grow should be good. Direct sun exposure is undesirable.
High humidity. In the heat, it is often necessary to spray, or place on a pallet with wet moss or expanded clay.
The soil. It should be light and airy, have a low level of acidity, contain a large amount of peat, sand and humus.
Pest control. Both plants are highly resistant to diseases and pests. But they can be affected by fungi, you should be wary of spider mites, mealybugs and scale insects. You will learn more about the diseases and pests of Decembrist in a separate article, and why here leaves wither and fall off in this plant, read here.
Watering. From the end of September to mid-November, watering the schlumbergera is reduced, the plant is placed in a cool place. Then at the end of November they put it on the windowsill and increase the watering. In February-March, the plant rests again, rarely watered. When caring for ripsalidopsis, a slightly different watering schedule is used. Rarely watered from October to February, watering is increased in February-March. In summer, the soil should not be allowed to dry out; in both plants it should always be moist. Water for irrigation must be used warm.
Top dressing. Mineral fertilizers with a minimum nitrogen content are suitable. Plants are fed during the growing season (Christmas from mid-March to September, and Easter cactus from late September to early February).

Watering, top dressing and propagation of Schlumbergera and Ripsalidopsis are carried out at different times.

You will find all the nuances of growing Schlumbergera in a separate material.

Consider the periods of their life.

Table. Plant Life Spans

plant	growing season	peace, preparation for flowering	flowering period	rest period
Schlumbergera	mid March - September	October	November - January	February March
ripsalidopsis	end of September - beginning of February	first half of February to early March	end of march may	June-first half of September

Ripsalidopsis and Schlumbergera differ from each other in flowering. Wonderful, beautifully blooming forest cacti will successfully fit into any interior, will appeal to every person. After a long winter, they will help create a spring mood and will delight their owners with elegant attire for many years, because they are long-livers.