''Hatiora herminiae'' is a

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

in the tribe

Rhipsalideae The Rhipsalideae are a small tribe of cacti, comprising four or five genera (and around 60 species). They grow on trees (epiphytes) or on rocks (lithophytes), where they either hang down or form creeping or upright shrubs. Their flowers open in ...

, family

Cactaceae A cactus (: cacti, cactuses, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae (), a family of the order Caryophyllales comprising about 127 genera with some 1,750 known species. The word ''cactus'' derives, through Latin, ...

. It grows as an

epiphyte An epiphyte is a plant or plant-like organism that grows on the surface of another plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphyt ...

in cloud forests in Southeast Brazil.

Description

''Hatiora herminiae'' is an

, growing up to about high, either upright or arching over. The stems are circular in cross-section, not ribbed, and are composed of segments long and in diameter. Branches occur at the ends of segments. Pink to magenta flowers are borne from

areole In botany, areoles are small light- to dark-colored bumps on cactus, cacti out of which grow clusters of Thorns, spines, and prickles, spines. Areoles are important diagnostic features of cactus, cacti, and identify them as a family distinct fr ...

s at the ends of stems, and are up to long, opening to across. Olive green

berries A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone fruit, stone or pit (fruit), pit although many wikt:pip#Etymology 2, pips or seeds may be p ...

follow the flowers.

Taxonomy

The species was first described in 1940 by and , as ''Hariota herminiae''. Confusion over the status of the genus name ''Hariota'' later led to its replacement by the anagram ''Hatiora''. Like many species in the

, it has also been placed in the genus '' Rhipsalis''.

Molecular phylogenetic Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...

studies have firmly placed it in ''Hatiora''.

Distribution and habitat

''Hatiora herminiae'' is endemic to Southeast Brazil, where it is found in the states of

Minas Gerais Minas Gerais () is one of the 27 federative units of Brazil, being the fourth largest state by area and the second largest in number of inhabitants with a population of 20,539,989 according to the 2022 Brazilian census, 2022 census. Located in ...

and

São Paulo São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...

. It grows as an

, particularly on ''

Araucaria ''Araucaria'' (; original pronunciation: .ɾawˈka. ɾja is a genus of evergreen coniferous trees in the family Araucariaceae. While today they are largely confined to the Southern Hemisphere, during the Jurassic and Cretaceous they were glo ...

'', in cloud forests in the Serra da Mantiqueira at elevations of around .

Conservation

When assessed in 2010, it was considered to be endangered, the main threat being collection for its attractive flowers, but it was also threatened by declines in habitat.

References

{{Taxonbar, from1=Q1034336, from2=Q15039833 Rhipsalideae Flora of Southeast Brazil