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Description
Stems
scandent, clambering or sprawling, branching, attached closely to tree trunks by numerous aerial, stout roots, usually twisted about the trunks suggestive a serpent coiled about the tree, stiff, to 10 m long or more, 3-10 cm thick or thicker; ribs (3-)5-8, 10-35 mm high, wing-like; areoles 3-4mm wide, wool white, thin, internodes 10-25mm, except on juveline growth when much shorter; spines 3-4(-10) or more, 10-20 mm long, at first yellowish, later brownish, acicular, spreading, the uppermost longer, bristles on lower part of areole 5-10 mm long; epidermis pale green to emerald green, smooth.
Flowers
produced from year-old areoles or older, to 23-28 cm long, 20-22 cm in diameter, nocturnal, but stay open longer than most species, fragrant; pericarpel ovoid, green, podaria low, bracteoles 1mm long or less, purplish red with brown hairs, 10-30 mm long, in their axils; receptacle green, lower part slender, elongate, 10cm, expanding to a broad, funnelform throat, nearly as long as the lower part, bracteoles purplish red, hairs, 10-30 mm long, brown, bristles 3-5, long; outer tepals linear-lanceolate, acute, greenish or greenish white, sometimes with reddish tips, bristles 3-5, long; inner tepals linear-oblong, acuminate, 8-10 cm long, white or creamy white; stamens attached all over the throat of the receptacle style, slender, 24-25 cm long, yellowish; stigma lobes ca 20, linear, yellow
Fruit 6-9 cm, purplish red, spiny.
Seeds ca 3 mm long and 1,5 mm thick, shiny, black. |
