Scientific Name:
Disocactus ackermannii
(& hybrids)
Pronunciation:
dy-soh-KAK-tus ak-er-MAN-ee-eye
Common Name:
orchid cactus, strap cactus
Family Name:
Cactaceae
Plant Type:
Flowering pot plant, Succulent or Cacti
Key ID Features:
Stems with a short rounded base, about 10-16cm long, followed by longer flattened leaf-like portions (or Y-shaped in cross-section in some hybrid cvs.), 10-70cm long and 5-7cm wide with wavy edges; flowers funnel shaped, with many tepals; berry dark red, oval, 2-4cm long.
Habit:
Arching, Epiphytic
Form:
Weeping
Texture:
Coarse
Mature Height:
0.2 - 0.4m
Mature Spread:
0.1 - 0.3m
Origin:
Garden origin, Mexico
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 10: (-1 to 4 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun, Part sun/part shade, Filtered shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Well-drained
Water Use:
Low, Winter dry, Summer dry
Landscape Uses:
Indoor plant
Additional Info:
Google. Compare to dragon fruit.
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Opposite
Texture/Venation:
Leathery
Surfaces:
Glabrous
Colour in Summer:
Dark-green
Colour in Fall:
Dark-green
Shapes:
Deltoid, Other
Apices:
Acute
Bases:
Truncate
Margins:
Entire
Additional Info:
Above information refers to leaf like stems (cladophylls) as the true leafs are reduced to spines.
Inflorescence Type:
Flowers solitary
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
11+
Corolla Shape:
Campanulate
Ovary Position:
Inferior
Colour (petals):
White, Orange, Yellow, Pink, Red
Flower Scent:
None
Flower Time at Peak:
Sep, Oct, Nov, Can flower any month
Fruit Type:
Berry (true)
Fruit Colour:
Red, Dark-red
Fruiting Time:
Additional Info:
Showy, rarely forms on indoor plants
Bark Morphology:
Showy, Smooth, Other
Bark or Stem Colour:
Green
Additional Info:
leaf-like stems
Organ Modifications:
Succulent stems, cladophylls (or phylloclades)
Propagation:
Cuttings
Optimal Temp.:
Medium
Light Level:
High
Maintenance:
Low
Pest Susceptibility:
Aphids or adelgids, Root rot (Pest resistant, Disease resistant)
