A decorative species of Brazil’s Atlantic Forest and Paraguay and is reportedly no longer found in the wild.
A shrub-like, epiphytic species with arching stems that are cylindrical but deeply incised, showing five ribs. The flowers are white to slightly pinkish and the fruit pink.
R. pentaptera is an easy-to-identify species. It has 5 or 6 deep ribs and grows less pendulously than other species. New stems that grow from the center of the plant tend to arch outward rather than hang pendulously. Successive stem segments arch outward also.

White flowers and pink to white fruit. From Brazil an Paraguay.

Desc from B&R 1923

Plant - branches stiff, bright green, 6 to 15 mm. in dameter, strongly 5 or 6-ribbed, the ribs indented at areoles;
Areoles - often 2 cm. apart, small, subtended by broad bracts, usually bearing 2 white bristles;
Flowers - usually scattered along whole length of branches, opening in daytime, 1 to 4 from an areole;
Scales - 4 or 5 at base of corolla, broad and obtuse;
Petals - 5 reddish on back, cream-colored on face, 4 mm. long, obtuse;


Stamens - numerous, about 25, free from petals, white, about as long as style;
Style - and stigma-lobes white;
Ovary - truncate, naked;
Fruit -3 to 4 mm. in diameter, white, naked, or with an occasional small scale.

Shipped USPS