• Plant - hanging in great clusters from the horizontal branches of trees;
• Branches -  strongly flattened, 15 cm. long, 5 to 6 cm. broad, cuneate at base, strongly crenate, dark green or purplish along margins;
• Flowers -  often 9 at an areole, minute;
• Sepals -  few, obtuse, reddish at tips;
• Petals -  usually 5, cream-colored, obtuse, 2 mm. long;
• Fruit -  usually 1 at an areole, small, globose, 5 to 6 mm. in diameter, purple. 

DISTRIBUTION. Brazil (Bahia, Minas Gerais, Espirito Santo): Atlanticand brejo forest, compo rupestre and ecotones with caatinga-agreste, low elevations to c 1000 m altitude. 

A plant referable to Subg. Phyllarthro­rhipsalis, which was collected in the state of Goias by P. Braun, is growing at the Univ. of Bonn collection and resembles R. russelli in its vegetative characters.

R. russelii (copyright KAF, KEW 2006)

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