While the genus name Schlumbergera is probably unfamiliar, you may have recognized this plan as Christmas cactus. I'm loath to assign a species name as Schlumbergera is often hybridized among its species and with similar genera such as Epiphyllum or Rhipsalis. While this plant did indeed bloom during Christmas, there are also Thanksgiving and Easter cacti, too.
The flat, lobed leaves with tiny hairs that appear around the flower buds. Though these plants are native to the forests of Brazil, they are epiphytes and occupy the higher reaches of the canopy. Here water quickly sheets away and the plant's succulent nature is a method of preserving water. The hairs around the flower bud are likely adaptations for the plant to trap moisture around the developing flower.
These are relatively easy to grow - this is from a cutting of my grandmother's cactus. Obviously, the flower is triggered not in response to changes in temperature, but to changes in light. As the days get shorter the plant begins to flower. In the jungle, these flowers open and close each day.
