One of the most popular plants to give or receive at this time of year is the Christmas cactus. Or is it an Easter or Thanksgiving cactus?

The difference between the three cacti is found in the shape of the leaves. The Thanksgiving cactus (Schlumbergera truncata, or the false Christmas cactus) has very pointed and claw shaped projections on the edges of the leaf. The Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera bridgesii ) has leaf projections which are more scalloped or tear drop shaped. The Easter cactus (Schlumbergera gaertneri) has very rounded edges which are centralised on the leaf. See here

The Christmas and Thanksgiving cactus require approximately 6 weeks of short days ( so keep them in a dark and cool place) in order to bloom whereas the Easter cactus requires 8-12 weeks of short days to bloom.

I used my Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IIII camera with the M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 60mm 1:2.8 Macro for all of these photos. It really is extraordinary how beautiful this flower is when studied up close.