ABSTRACT
Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri, the Easter cactus, has joints that are 3.5 to 7.5 cm long and 1.5 to 2.5 cm wide, with 4 to 6 teeth on the margin of each phylloclade; the bristles are mostly apical, are short and not over 1.2 cm long. Flowers are bright red and are 6 to 9 cm across. With R rosea, the joints are smaller than with R. gaertneri, being only some 2.5 to 4 cm long and 1.5 cm wide. With R. gaertneri, plants grown at 10°C will initiate flowers under a photoperiod from 10 hr to continuous irradiation. Under SD, flower initiation occurs between 8 and 17°C; however, at 17°C initiation is low, and the optimum is 10 to 15°C. Under LD, 10°C is the optimal temperature for floral initiation. Soil drenches of ethephon and chlormequat were found to restrict terminal growth for the former and increase growth for the latter; neither hastened flowering.
