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Epiphyllum cooperi, Epiphyllum crenatum and Disocactus maranthus.
I flowered my Epiphyllum cooperi...and started doing a little research. Ted Anderson’s book, ‘The Cactus Family’, lists it under Epiphyllum crenatum var. kimnachi. This puzzles me, as my general understanding is, that if it is a variety, there are only a few differences. I shall, at this stage refer to E. crenatum var. kimnachi, as E. cooperi.
Lets look at features of three plants - E. crenatum, E. cooperi, and Disocactus maranthus and compare them.
This information is based on my experience and observation.
|
|
E. crenatum
|
E. cooperi
|
D. macrathus
|
| Stem
|
Erect
up to 1 metre
Flattened
Clearly knotched,
Overall comparision
long, and rounded at the end - blunt
* see photos
|
Erect
up to 25 – 35 cm
Flattened
Minimally to not knotched
Overall shape spear head shaped,
tapers toward the tip
|
Arching
20 –30 cm
Flattened
Clearly knotched
Spear shaped tapers towards the tip
|
| New Growth |
Generally from the base,
but not uncommon on the stem.
|
Almost always from
the base near ground rarely anywhere else.
|
Various anywhere
(usually in the top 2/3)
|
|---|
| Flowers
|
Grow from the top
half to 2/3 of the stem
Stems have leaf like scales only.
|
almost always from the base near ground
Stems commonly hairy at
base with small scales higher
up the flower stem.
|
Usually in the
top 2/3 of each stem
Stems have
minimal scales.
See photo below
|
Flowering
time |
mid Spring
for 3 + days |
late Spring early Summer
for 3+ days |
Autumn for 3+ days |
Perfume
Flower |
Perfumed
– evening
7 – 11pm* |
Perfumed
– evening
9pm – 1am* |
Perfumed
– day
Through the day* |
Flower
Shape |
Generally tends to cup shape
– loose petals
Flowers 18 – 23 cm
in diameter with overall cream colour
redening by
high light levels on
the outer petals.
|
open trumpet shape
tight overlapping petals
Flower 25 – 30 cm
in diameter with
white /cream petals
that darken to pale yellow
in the centre
|
star wheel shape
narrow petals
Flowers 6cm in diameter with
yellow petals
|
| Petal edge shape |
 |
 |
|
|
| Fruit |
round about
golf ball or larger
size 3 - 4 cm
Takes in Auckland
four months to ripen
(through summer)
Has scales
red when ripe
|
same size,
but has an angular surface
“takes longer”
to ripen - 12 months.
Hairs (no scales)
green/yellow when ripe |
smaller round
berry, less than
1.5 cm
takes 4 - 5 months through winter
Minimal scales
red when ripe
|
* The perfume of these flowers are all slightly different.
The time mentioned above are roughly when they are their strongest.
If E. cooperi is a variety of E. crenatum, then one would expect many similarities.
Similarities:
1) Erect stem
2) Three plus days flowering
3) Flowers are perfumed at night - note time differences
Differences:
(Significant to be clearly distinct)
1) Where flowers originate from
2) Stem shape
3) Present/absence of scales/hairs on flower stem base
4) Flower shape
5) Flower perfume different
6) Different flowering time
7) Fruit difference - scales vs hairs
8) Fruit flavour significantly different
9) Fruit ripening time significantly different
10) Fruit ripening colour green vs red colour
So, E. cooperi is distinctly different from E. crenatum, and calling it E. crenatum var. kimnachi makes one ask questions. Such as - how many significant variations from a species can a plant have and still be considered a variety of a species? Maybe Disocactus macranthus could be considered a variety of E.crenatum as well!
Until the naming system for this whole group of epiphytic cacti is sorted out, E. cooperi (from long-time common usage) seems as appropriate as any other name. I don't feel it can be considered a variety of E. crenatum, because of the significant differences.