Cactaceae plant named `Sanibel`

Abstract

A new and distinct plant variety of the cactaceae family is of the type known commercially as a "Christmas Cactus" and has growth characteristics which are similar to those of the "Christmas Fantasy" variety (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,046), but which are nevertheless modified by a combination of characteristics that include among others: phylloclades with shorter and thicker midribs, thicker and wider wings, and thicker teeth that are also greater in number; and flowers that have longer and wider sepaloid tepals, longer and wider tube laminating tepals, shorter and wider tube forming tepals, a perianth tube with longer major and minor axis, and ovaries with longer major and minor axes.

We claim: 
     
       1. A new and distinct plant variety of the Cactaceae family as shown and described and which is mainly distinguished from its antecedents and known related varieties by growth characteristics that are similar to those of the "Christmas Fantasy" variety but as modified by the combination of the following characteristics: (1) A more erect posture at maturity than the "Christmas Fantasy" variety;   (2) Phylloclades which, in comparison to the "Christmas Fantasy" variety have (a) midribs with generally shorter length dimensions and generally greater thickness dimensions, (b) wings with generally greater thickness and width dimensions, and (c) teeth with generally greater thickness dimensions and in a larger number per phylloclade; and   (3) Flowers which, in comparison to the "Christmas Fantasy" variety, have (a) a sepaloid tepal series with generally longer length dimensions and generally greater width dimensions, (b) a tube laminating tepal series with generally longer length dimensions and generally greater width dimensions, (c) a tube forming tepal series with generally shorter length dimensions and generally greater width dimensions, (d) a perianth tube that at the throat has a generally longer major elliptical axis dimension and a generally longer minor elliptical axis dimension, and (e) ovaries with a generally longer major axis dimension at the distal end of the concavity and a generally longer minor axis dimension at the distal end of the concavity.