The mistletoe cacti (Rhipsalis Gaertner) are epiphytes and most are pendant, cascading from trees. The plants vary widely from species to species; some have cylindrical stems, others have flattened, but one thing Rhipsalis do not have are the spines typical of the cactus family. Depending upon the taxonomic authority, there are 40 to 60 species. The center of diversity is South America, primarily Brazil.

Rhipsalis trigona [rip sal' is trig' o na] is a southern Brazilian species found in the states of Sao Paulo, Parana, and Santa Catarina. The stems are triangular and branch; the first branching is usually dichotomous, two equally-sized stems. Later branches are in threes and fours. R. trigona needs vertical room—the branches grow to two meters (6 feet) in length. The photographed specimen hangs from an 8-foot trellis and reaches about halfway down. The branching is reminiscent of a tumbling green waterfall.

Rhipsalis trigona blooms in early spring, February to April in Florida. The flowers are pale orangey-pink, actinomorphic (radially symmetrical), and small about one and a half centimeters in diameter. Although fragrance is not mentioned in any descriptions, mine emits a spicy-sweet scent like cloves.

The flowers are followed by round red fruits surrounded by tufts of white trichomes (plant hairs). The 'berries' make a better display than the flowers, but I seldom get to enjoy the show. Every year, the 'berries' on my plant vanish. I suspect mockingbirds.

(Compiled from: "Rhipsalis", Hortus Third, Staff L.H. Bailey Hortorium, NY State College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University, Macmillan, NY, 1976; "Rhipsalis", Cactus Guide, Ladislaus Cutak, Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. NY, 1956; and "Rhipsalis trigona Pfeiffer" The Rhipsalis website is a great resource for collectors to learn more about epiphytic cactus and their cultivation.)