ISI 2022-5. Selenicereus wercklei Br. & R.

This is one of the easier to handle members of Selenicereus, a genus of about thirty species of epiphytic or vining cacti from tropical America. The name is derived from Selene, the moon goddess of Greek mythology, and alludes to the nocturnal blooming of these large-flowered cacti. Their stems are variously armed, sometimes with closely spaced spine clusters, but are completely spineless in this species. Apparently, its pencil-thick stems are sufficiently prodigious that the plant can tolerate some degree of grazing. That is also what affords this offering. While strolling through the tropical forests of Costa Rica, one can sometimes find the trail littered with pieces of this plant decorated with bite marks on the stems. Troops of spider monkeys overhead seem to be responsible. So, we are able to offer HBG 134750, rooted cuts of what was originally a 2” stem segment collected by our trained monkeys in Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica. We look forward to the flowers of this one which are typically about 6” long with a spreading corolla of white petals with red at the base. In the meantime, one can enjoy images found on the web. $8.