Elleanthus kermesinus (Lindl.) Rchb.f. 1862 SUBGENUS Calelyna SECTION Calelyna Szach & Dudek 2023
Photos by © Rebecca Repasky and The Atrium Website
Common Name The Carmine Red Elleanthus
Flower Size
Found in Venezuela, Tolima department of Colombia and Peru in paramo and cloud forsts at elevations of 1100 to 2000 meters as a medium to large sized, cool to cold growing terrestrial or epiphyte with a much branched stem with leafy branches carrying coriaceous, rigid,distichous, 3 to5 nerved, plicate, linear-lanceolate to linear-elliptic, acuminate to mucronate, scabrous margined leaves that blooms on an abbreviated, strongly sinuous-fractiflex, 1 to 3.2" [2.5 to 8 cm] long, laxly 3 to 5 flowered inflorescence carrying bright carmine coloredflowers.
"Similar to E decipiens and E confusus in plant form but differs in lip form which is obovate to suborbicular in outline, emarginate at the apex versus orbicular to transverselyelliptic, bilobed in front. Unlike E decipiens, E kermesinus has purple flowers." Szlatchetko & Kolanowska 2023
Synonyms *Evelyna kermesina Lindl. 1846
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI
Orchid. Linden.: 11 Lindl. 1846 as Evelyna kermesiana;
*Ann. Bot. Syst. 6: 478 Rchb.f 1862
Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 9: 45 Peru Schlechter 1921;
Flora Brasilica Vol XII II 13-43 Hoehne 1945;
Orchids of Peru Vol 1 Schweinfurth 1958;
Flora de Venezuela Volumen 15 Parte 1 Foldats 1969 drawing good;
Native Colombian Orchids Vol 5 COS 1994 photo good;
Materials to the Orchid Flora of Colombia Vol IV:246 Szlatchetko & Kolanowska 2023
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