Epidendrum allochronum Hágsater 1993 GROUP Spathiger SUBGROUP Coriifolium

Plant and Flowers Photos by © Brian A. O'Brien Copyright ©

TYPE Drawing TYPE Drawing by © Jimenez, Hágsater & E.Santiago and The AMO Herbario Website

THROUGH

Common Name The Successive Epidendrum [refers to the successive flowering of this species]

Flower Size 1.6" [4 cm]

Found in Costa Rica and Panama in cloud forests at elevations of 1100 to 2100 meters as a medium sized, cool to cold growing epiphyte with cane-like, laterally compressed, ancipitous stems carrying 2 to 3 [4], coriaceous, strap-shaped, bilobed apically, green with purple margin leaves that blooms in the spring through fall, on a terminal, erect, ocurring only once, racemose, distichous, to 16" [40 cm] long, zigzag rachis, laterally compressed, ancipitous, to 20 flowered inflorescence with longer than the ovaries, conduplicate, apically rounded to bilobed, spaced apart, divergent, green, densely dotted reddish-purple floral bracts and carrying successively few at a time, non-fragrant flowers.

This species is distinguished by the peduncle with 2 or 3 bracts that area similar to the floral bracts, an inflorescence that is longer than the apical leaf, the narrowly rounded apically floral bracts and successively 5 to 20 flowered inflorescence with the linear petals of the flowers measuring .04" [1 mm] wide.

"Epidendrum allochronum belongs to the GROUP Spathiger SUBGROUP Coriifolium characterized by the sympodial habit, coriaceous leaves, and the racemose, distichous inflorescence carrying fleshy green to purplish flowers The species can be distinguished by the stems with 2 to 3 (4) coriaceous, strap-like leaves, inflorescence much longer than the uppermost leaf, divergent, long floral bracts narrowly rounded at the apex and finely and abundantly dotted with reddish-purple, successive flowers produced one at a time, and single veined petals appressed to the lateral sepals. Epidendrum coriifolium, from Guatemala and Mexico, has shorter, compact plants, the inflorescence about as long as the apical leaí and simultaneous flowers; E. caluerorum Hágsater has narrow leaves, bracts subequal to the ovary in length, and the lip with two distinct calli; Epidendrum magnibracteatum Ames 1922 has acute bracts and many flowers open at the same time; E. summerhayesii Hágsater has widely rounded, imbricating bracts; and E . behariorum Hágsater has elongate inflorescence with 3 to 5 flowers open at the same time and spreading, truncate bracts." Hagsater etal 1993

Synonyms Epidendrum coriifolium var. purpurascens Schltr. 1922

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Die Orchideen 3 Auflage Bd 1 Sonderabdruck aus Schlechter Lieferung 9 513 - 576 Brieger, Maatsch and Senghas 1977 as E corriifolium var purpurescens; * Icones Orchidacearum 2 Plate 104 Hagsater & Sanchez 1993 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 2 Plate 112 Hagsater & Sanchez 1993 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 2 Plate 116 Hagsater & Sanchez 1993 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 2 Plate 189 Hagsater & Sanchez 1993 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 3 Plate 398 Hagsater & Sanchez 1999 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 4 Plate 409 Hagsater 2001 see recognition section; Manual de las Plantas de Costa Rica Vol 3 Hammel, Grayum, Herrera and Zamora 2003; Icones Orchidacearum 7 Plate 793 Hagsater 2004 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum Part 12 Plate 1228 Hagsater 2009 see recognition section

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