Selenicereus anthonyanus

Synonymy
Cryptocereus anthonyanus
Alexander (1950) Cact. Succ. Journ. US 22:163-166
Selenicereus anthonyanus
(Alexander) D. Hunt (1989) Bradleya 7:93

Ethymology
This species is named for Dr. Harold E. Anthony who first flowered this species in June 1950. The former generic epiptet Cryptocereus means literally "hidden cereus". It recalls the fact that the species remained unknown for a long time, even in a region that had been throroughly investigated.

History
Mr. Thomas MacDougall found this species in 1946. He though he had found a close relative to Epiphyllum anguliger. When it flowered in the greenhouses of Dr. Harold E. Anthony in Jersey in 1950 it was obvious that this was a great novelty.

The species is rarely collected and most plants in cultivation are children of this first collection.

Image from Rainbow Gardens

Description
Stems scandent or climbing, branches in clusters at intervals along the stem, to 1 m long or more, 7-15 cm wide, flat with few areal roots; the lobes 25-45 mm long and 10-16 mm wide, somewhat tapered towards the rounded apex; areoles small, near central nerv, spines 3, short; epidermis green to yellowish green, smooth.
Flowers 10-12cm long, (10-) 14-17 (-20) cm in diameter, nocturnal, very fragrant; pericarpel 15-20 mm long, green, bracteoles 1-2mm long, olive green, their axils with dirty grey wool, greyish-brown bristles and stout, pale brown spines, 1-3 mm long; receptacle 3-4 cm long, 1-5 cm in diameter, terete, bracteoles 3-6 mm long, ovate-lanceolate, the lowermost with wool and bristles, the upper naked, the uppermost 8-10 mm long, madder purple; outer tepals outermost 1-2 cm long, similar to bracteoles, inner 6cm long, spreading-recurved, lanceolate, madder purple; intermediate tepals 5, lanceolate, acute; inner tepals ca 10, 6 cm, lanceolate-acute, erect-spreading, cream, outermost cream with lower margins madder purple; stamens short, 15mm long, yellowish; style 6,5-7cmlong, 6mm thick above the throat, in the throat abruptly contracted to 4mm thick, cream, stigma lobes 12-14, lanceolate, 16-18mm long.
Fruit ovoid, 6 x 5cm long, fragrant, areoles 4mm with spines 1-2cm, dark green. Seeds 2x1,5mm, black.