Origin and Habitat: Eastern Andes of Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina.
Type locality: Tucuman, Argentina.
Altitude range: 500-2000 metres above sea level.
Habitat and ecology: Rhipsalis floccosa subsp. tucumanensis is an epiphytic plant that grows on montane forest trees. In Argentina this species blooms at the beginnig of October, as Pfeiffera ianthotheleSN|8145]]SN|8145]] and Rhipsalis aculeata and the flowers are pollinated by bees. Apparently the fruits are eaten by birds among which Ortalis canicollis and Penelope obscura.

• Rhipsalis floccosa subs. tucumanensis (F.A.C.Weber) Barthlott & N.P.Taylor
• Hariota tucumanensis (F.A.C.Weber) Kuntze
• Hylorhipsalis floccosa subs. tucumanensis (F.A.C.Weber) Doweld
• Lepismium tucumanense (F.A.C.Weber) Backeb.
• Rhipsalis tucumanensis F.A.C.Weber

• Rhipsalis floccosa Salm-Dyck ex Pfeiff.
• Hariota floccosa (Salm-Dyck ex Pfeiff.) Kuntze
• Hatiora floccosa (Salm-Dyck ex Pfeiff.) Lem.
• Hylorhipsalis floccosa (Salm-Dyck ex Pfeiff.) Doweld
• Lepismium floccosum (Salm-Dyck ex Pfeiff.) Backeb.

• Rhipsalis floccosa subs. hohenauensis (F.Ritter) Barthlott & N.P.Taylor
• Hylorhipsalis floccosa subs. hohenauensis (F.Ritter) Doweld
• Rhipsalis hohenauensis F.Ritter

• Rhipsalis floccosa subs. oreophila N.P.Taylor & Zappi
• Hylorhipsalis monteazulensis (F.Ritter) Doweld
• Rhipsalis monteazulensis F.Ritter

• Rhipsalis floccosa subs. pittieri (Britton & Rose) Barthlott & N.P.Taylor
• Hylorhipsalis floccosa subs. pittieri (Britton & Rose) Doweld
• Lepismium pittieri (Britton & Rose) Backeb.
• Rhipsalis pittieri Britton & Rose

• Rhipsalis floccosa subs. pulvinigera (G.Lindb.) Barthlott & N.P.Taylor
• Hylorhipsalis floccosa subs. pulvinigera (G.Lindb.) Doweld
• Lepismium pulvinigerum (G.Lindb.) Backeb.
• Rhipsalis grandiflora var. minor Pfeiff.
• Rhipsalis pulvinigera G.Lindb.

• Rhipsalis floccosa subs. tucumanensis (F.A.C.Weber) Barthlott & N.P.Taylor
• Hariota tucumanensis (F.A.C.Weber) Kuntze
• Hylorhipsalis floccosa subs. tucumanensis (F.A.C.Weber) Doweld
• Lepismium tucumanense (F.A.C.Weber) Backeb.
• Rhipsalis tucumanensis F.A.C.Weber

Description: Rhipsalis floccosaSN|32842]]SN|32842]] ssp. tucumanensis usually hang from the branches of the big trees jungle canopy and has many slender segment branches 4 to 10 mm in diameter and sometimes in whorls. It is similar to subspecies pulvinigera but with green stems without red colouring, and larger fruits that are red or white and to 10 mm in diameter. The stems have woolly areoles when young but soon becoming naked.
Stems: Stem branching only at apex (acrotonic) slender, unarmed and terete. When young, bright green with a red spot at the areoles and when old, yellowish green and somewhat angular.
Flowers: One per areola, rotate, c. 7 mm long and 15 to 18 mm in diameter, pinkish white to cream, scentless. Outer perianth segments (sepaloids) 4, whitish, rose-coloured in the back. Inner perianth segments (petaloids) 8 radially spreading, oval, lanceolate. Stamens numerous white, spreading, much shorter than petals. Style white, stigma lobes 4 or 5. Ovary sunken in the branch and surrounded by a tuft of wool. Nectary anular (donut-like) around the style at the base of the short floral tube.
Blooming season: Flowers bloom in spring; flowers are diurnal, with anthesis lasting two days..
Fruits (berries) White tinged with red or pinkish around the dry perianth, c. 8-10 mm in diameter. Under greenhouse conditions (high humidity) the ripening of fruits occur about 30 days after blooming. Not so with the plants found in habitat with low humidity, since the fruit remains with rudimentary appearance between a tuft of white wool; in occasion of the first rainfall a very rapid hydration occurs, followed by an immediate fruit ripening, which suggests that the maturation of the fruits depends on exogenous hydration.

Bibliography: Major references and further lectures
1) N. L. Britton, J. N. Rose: “The Cactaceae. Descriptions and Illustrations of Plants of the Cactus Family.” Volume 4, The Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington 4: 7. 1923 [24 Dec 1923]
2) Edward Anderson “The Cactus family” Timber Press, Incorporated, 2001
3) Nassar J.M., Velázquez G., Romero-Briceño J.C. and Medina E. 2013. “Las cactáceas como elementos de caracterización de ambientes áridos y semiáridos en Venezuela.” In: Medina E., Huber O. and Nassar J.M. (eds), “Recorriendo el paisaje vegetal de Venezuela: Un homenaje a Volkmar Vareschi,” Ediciones IVIC, Caracas.
4) Taylor, N.P. & Zappi, D. 2013. Rhipsalis floccosa. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013: e.T46525A3008368. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T46525A3008368.en. Downloaded on 13 April 2016.
5) James Cullen, Sabina G. Knees, H. Suzanne Cubey “The European Garden Flora Flowering Plants: A Manual for the Identification of Plants Cultivated in Europe, Both Out-of-Doors and Under Glass” Cambridge University Press, 11 August 2011
6) Hunt, D., Taylor, N. and Charles, G. “The New Cactus Lexicon”. dh Books, Milborne Port, UK. . 2006.
7) Odair J.G.Almeida, J. Hugo Cota-Sánchez, Adelita A.S. Paoli “The systematic significance of floral morphology, nectaries, and nectar concentration in epiphytic cacti of tribes Hylocereeae and Rhipsalideae (Cactaceae)” Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 15 (2013) 255–268

Cultivation and Propagation: Rhipsalis floccosaSN|32842]]SN|32842]] subs. tucumanensis is among the easiest to cultivate epiphytic cacti and tolerates neglect. These forest cacti tend to be long lived.
Exposure: This plant (as with all Rhipsalis) prefers partial shade.
Watering: It requires ample summer water (more than other cacti), but allow soil to dry slightly between waterings.
Soil: These cacti won't want a normal cactus soil but will prefer to be in a soil largely composed of organic material, such as peat or sphagnum moss, This type of soil would normally be used for orchids, bromeliads or other epiphytic plants.
These forest cacti tend to be long lived.
Hardiness: Frost tender. It needs night-time temperatures no cooler than 5° C, especially in the winter.
Special requirements: These plants bloom profusely if grown in an even, high temperature, but significantly less if the temperature fluctuates between 4°C and 18°C. They drop their buds easily if they are moved. Once flower buds have formed, do not move the plant, as slight changes in environment may cause the buds to drop.
Propagation: Stem cuttings.