Rhipsalis paradoxa, a thornless cactus

If it's hard to sit on this cactus, you'll have no trouble hiding under its long vines. Native to the forests of southern and eastern Brazil, Rhipsalis paradoxa is a thornless cactus with endless stems.

In its natural habitat, Rhipsalis paradoxa grows on trees. This epiphytic succulent plant with a drooping habit can reach a spread of 60 centimetres. Its stems are over a metre long when grown in pots and indoors.

Stems may be single or branched. They are made up of fleshy segments linkedtogether like links in a chain. The flattened, oval segments measure up to five centimetres long and two centimetres wide. Rhipsalis paradoxa may be a cactus, but its green segments bear no spines or glochids. They are perfectly smooth and soft to the touch, as in rhipsalis cereuscula.

From late winter onwards, flowers enhance the foliage. They measure no more than two centimetres and their white petals appear translucent.

Pink or white fruits then appear at the edges of the segments, at the nodes. They contain seeds that enable the plant to multiply.

Like many cacti, Rhipsalis paradoxa is non-toxic. It is harmless to us and to animals if touched or ingested.