True Christmas Cactus have fleshy stems that are
divided into flattened leaf-like segments with rounded-toothed margins.
They do not have spines and they do not have true leaves. The stems
start out growing upwards, then droop down as they lengthen. Trumpet
shaped flowers with narrow petals develop on the ends of the stems. The
bright showy flowers are up to 7.5 cm long. Extensive hybridization and
selection have resulted in more than 200 named cultivars, differing
mainly in flower color, which ranges from white through pink to fire
engine red, and even peach, yellow and orange. Most cultivars bloom
around Christmas time, but some bloom earlier or later than Christmas.
Identification credit: Tabish
Photographed in Imphal, Manipur.
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The flower labeled True Christmas Cactus is ...