Queen of the Night- beautiful and Rare Epiphyllum oxypetalum

Hey guys, thanks for u giving for amazing  support , day by day we are growing and getting more information and knowing the  unknown facts .today we were know facts about a very beautiful but rare flower. named as Epiphyllum oxypetalum.

                    classification

Kingdom:        Plantae                                             Order:            Caryophyllales

Family:          Cactaceae                                          Genus:            Epiphyllum

lets know about this amezing thing,People also mention this flower as following names such as Queen of the Night, Night Blooming Cereus and Lady of the Night In India and Indian subcontinent it called as Bemha-kamala . Epiphyllum oxypetalum is a species of cactus and one of the most cultivated species in the genus.

Epiphyllum oxypetalum blooms rarely and only at night, and its flowers wilt before dawn. Though it is sometimes referred to as a nightblooming cereus, it is not closely related to any of the species in the tribe Cereeae, such as Selenicereus, that are more commonly known as nightblooming cereus. All Cereus species bloom at night and are terrestrial plants; all Epiphyllum species are usually epiphytic. Each pays homage to the spectacular white blooms (8"-10" across) that open in the late evening, releasing an exquisite perfume all night long, to close down at dawn. This display is so magical that people around the world host parties for friends to gather and experience this flowering.

Though each Epiphyllum Oxypetalum bloom lives but one night, a healthy, well grown plant can produce up to a dozen blooms at a time, with several flushes throughout the summer.

If kept too dry through the summer you may attract mealy bugs or spider mites. If kept too wet you may see root rot. If placed in direct sun the flattened stems may get sunburned, get brown spots and dry up. The best time is in the spring but does not need to be done too often.  Re-potting will delay any blooming period.

You can feed this plant with a 1/3 diluted, balanced liquid fertilizer from late spring through the summer.  It is not advised through the fall and winter months which should provide a resting period and a newly potted plant will not need feeding for the first year.  Especially if you have added dolomite limestone or a light humus to your media mix.  If you’re having difficulty getting blooms you can try using a fertilizer low in nitrogen and high in phosphorus like a 5-10-10.  Use a 1/3 dilution and only every few weeks through the summer months.

This species is closely related to E. thomasianum and E. pumilum, but quite distinct from them.In 1909, C. A. Purpus collected a slightly different type in St. Ana, Orizaba, Mexico.

It has carmine red outer petals and the flowers have an unpleasant smell, rather than being fragrant. It was originally named Phyllocactus purpusii, but is now included within this species. Epiphyllum oxypetalum is an easily cultivated, fast growing Epiphyllum. It flowers in late spring through late summer; large specimens can produce several crops of flowers in one season. This is the most commonly grown of the Epiphyllum species.