Pseudorhipsalis ramulosa subsp. ramulosa 'Red Coral'

Identity and natural origin of Pseudorhipsalis ramulosa subsp. ramulosa 'Red Coral'

The wild subspecies occurs naturally from central and southern Mexico through Central America into tropical South America. It grows on trees as an epiphyte in wet tropical forest, including Andean forest in Colombia at around 1,000–1,840 m.

The currently accepted botanical name for the species is Kimnachia ramulosa. Pseudorhipsalis ramulosa remains a familiar horticultural name.

Care for Pseudorhipsalis ramulosa subsp. ramulosa 'Red Coral'

• Light: Give bright filtered light and introduce gentle direct sun slowly. Brighter light brings out stronger red and purple stem colour.
• Water: Water thoroughly when the upper potting mix has dried and the stems still feel firm. Let excess water drain fully.
• Potting mix: Use a loose epiphytic cactus mix with coarse bark and other free-draining material.
• Position: Grow it in a hanging pot or on a high shelf where the long stems have room to arch and trail. Gentle air movement is useful around dense growth.
• Feeding and propagation: Feed lightly while new stems are developing. Let a healthy stem cutting dry at the cut end, then root it in lightly moist potting mix that drains freely.

Common problems with Pseudorhipsalis ramulosa subsp. ramulosa 'Red Coral'

• Stem tissue turns dark, translucent or soft: The roots or stem have stayed too wet. Cut affected tissue back to healthy tissue with a clean tool, discard the rot and reroot or repot the healthy sections in fresh potting mix that drains well.
• Stems become deeply wrinkled: The plant may be very dry or the roots may be damaged. Check the roots, then water thoroughly when they are firm and healthy.
• New stems stay green with little red colour: The light may be too low to bring out much red colour. Move it gradually into a brighter filtered position.
• White cottony clusters or fixed brown bumps appear: Check the stems and their small growth points for mealybugs or scale. Remove visible insects and use a treatment labelled for the identified pest and ornamental cacti, following the label for repeat applications.
• Bleached or rough brown patches develop on exposed stems: Strong sun has reached the stems too quickly. Move the plant back to filtered light and reintroduce direct sun slowly.

Keep Pseudorhipsalis ramulosa subsp. ramulosa ‘Red Coral’ away from children and pets

• Keep this plant away from children, cats and dogs.
• Its effects after chewing or swallowing are unclear, and plant material can still cause an upset stomach.
• Contact a veterinarian or medical professional if symptoms develop or do not settle.

About the names Pseudorhipsalis ramulosa and Kimnachia ramulosa

Pseudorhipsalis means false Rhipsalis, reflecting a superficial resemblance. The epithet ramulosa is Latin for having many small branches or twigs.

Nathaniel Lord Britton and Joseph Nelson Rose established the genus Pseudorhipsalis in 1923 in The Cactaceae, volume 4, page 213.

Joseph Franz Maria Anton Hubert Ignatz Fürst zu Salm-Reifferscheid-Dyck first described it as Cereus ramulosus in 1834 in Hortus Dyckensis, page 340. Wilhelm A. Barthlott later placed it in Pseudorhipsalis as Pseudorhipsalis ramulosa in 1991 in Bradleya, volume 9, page 90.

Kew’s World Checklist treats Pseudorhipsalis ramulosa as a synonym of Kimnachia ramulosa. Salvador Arias Montes and Nadja Korotkova placed the species in Kimnachia as Kimnachia ramulosa in 2017 in Phytotaxa, volume 327, page 30.