Need Species Help Desperately!

[gixrj18]

Yesterday, I did some side work for a lady that I had built cabinets for, about a year ago. She gave me what she said was an orchid from the wild, somewhere in S. America. She went on to tell me how she has some friends that have a permit to take cuttings from the wild, and they go on vacations and orchid hunts to exotic places. She also has a B. nodosa, from the wild. She said that when this leaf-less plant flowers, it grows tiny white balls....similar to mistletoe. It is very fleshy and delicate, like a pencil-shaped cactus. It even has pores, similar to the pores that cactus thorns grow from, except there is no thorns....or hairs. The roots, and the first two inches of the main trunk, are covered with a brown, bark-like skin. The plant is actually more tender, and delicate, than the roots. Is this even an orchid? It is mounted on coco fiber, and grows like an orchid, from what I can tell. Here's a challenge for the enthusiasts.....maybe. Any help is greatly appreciated, for the lady that gave it to me, had no idea what species it was. Sorry if its a little out of focus, this camera doesn't get very close.

[mycorrhiza]

Your plant looks like an epiphytic cactus to me. The roots don't appear to have the characteristic spongy coating (velamen) that most epiphytic orchid roots are equipped with. Hope you figure it out.

[puddin]

I think that is a cactus called "firesticks." If it is, under the right conditions, it will grow like crazy. Can get 6 ft tall.

[gixrj18]

The only firestick cactus I could find pictures of, stands erect. This one is a hanging plant, it would probably snap if you tried to make it stand up.....it's veeeeery tender. Thank you for the input, though.

[gixrj18]

I found a terete-leaf (pencil-leaf) Dendrobium that fits the description, Den. teretifolia.....a.k.a. Dockrillia teretifolia. But I guess I won't have any idea, until it blooms. Seems like it might be the right direction, anyway.

[Ray]

...but they don't grow in South America.

[gixrj18]

Yeah, that was the only part that didn't jive. I went by Rozanski's House of Orchids, today. Jesse is usually helpful with any info. He said he's seen it before, he doesn't remember the name, but he claims that it's Vandaceous. I guess we'll look in that direction! Oh well, it was a good excuse to go by there (like I needed one), he stacked me up with a two foot division of Trich. fasciata phillippenses, an extremely over-grown 6" pot of Coe. pandurata, a two foot Ren. Scarlet Yuka, Blc. Golden Tang (in bloom), and a neat little Dendrob. noid (he gave me that one), all for $40. So it was well worth the trip!

[lepanthes89]

Hi;At first glance, I was going to say Vanda teres,but on closer inspection ,the branching stem,and the white balls give it away.It is not an orchid,but an epiphytic cactus.Probably a Rhipsalis species.

[gixrj18]

Thank you, lepanthes89, it bears a striking resemblance to Rhipsalis baccifera. The flowers look just like she described. I'm going to print out a picture of it in bloom, and show it to the lady I got it from, hopefully she can confirm ID. That was driving me nuts! Thank you, again.

[gixrj18]

Thank you all, again! It has been confirmed, it is an epiphytic cactus, Rhipsalis baccifera. I showed a picture of it in bloom, to the woman that gave it to me, she confirmed ID. Thanks again, here's a pic: