Epidendrum propinquum A. Rich. & Galeotti 1845 GROUP Conopseum SUBGROUP Propinquum
Photo by © Patricia Harding
Photo by © Dale and Deni Borders
Drawing by © Jimenez, Hágsater & E.Santiago and The AMO Herbario Website
THROUGH
Common Name The Closely Related Epidendrum
Flower Size 3/4" [2 cm]
Found in central and southern Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador from oak, pine/oak and evergreen cloud forests at elevations of 500 to 2700 meters as a medium to giant sized, warm to cold growing reed stem terrestrial and sometimes epiphytic species with erect, terete, basally thicker, elongate cane-like main stems carrying 3 to 6 near apical leaves, branching profusely stems, each branch smaller and shorter, carrying 2 to 4 towards the apex leaves which are thin, subcoriaceous, narrowly elliptic, acute, becoming conduplicate towards the clasping base, sessile leaves, that blooms in the spring through fall on a terminal, short peduncle .2 to 1" [0.5 to 2.5 cm], filiform, provided at the base with a triangular, acuminate bract, arcuate, rachis zig-zag, 1.2 to 2.4" [3 to 6 cm] long overall, simultaneously 2 to 10 flowered inflorescence with narrowly triangular, acuminate, much shorter to almost as long as the ovary floral bracts and carrying slightly fragrant flowers.
This orchid can rarely form adventichous, aerial roots from the inferior branches.
"Epidendrum propinquum is part of GROUP Conopseum SUBGROUP Propinquum characterized by a sympodial, bush-like habit with thin stems carrying subcoriaceous leaves and blooms on a racemose, few flowered inflorescence with mostly yellow to pale green flowers sometimes marked with purple. The species is recognized by the bush-like habit, with roots only at the base of the plant, the relatively wide, .56 to .76" [14 to 19 mm], grassy leaves, the ovary does not form any vesicle near the perianth, the racemes originate from the apex of leafy stems, the triangular, and acuminate bracts, Epidendrum ledifolium A Rich, & Galeotti has leathery, thicker leaves, .16 to .28 [4 to 7 mm] wide, acute sepals and the bracts are linear-oblong, not acuminate, the apex of the column and the anther are usually red or purple, Epidendrum lignosum La Llave & Lex, (Kew considers this one a synonym of E lignosum), though similar to E, ledifolium produces the racemes from leafless shoots. Epidendrum skutchii Ames, FT,Hubb. & C.Schweinf. has very long, narrow leaves up to 7.2" x .28" [18 x 0.7 cm], and the lip has radiating keels on the disc in addition to the calli and the central keel,
Synonyms Epidendrum chimalapense Hágsater & Salazar 1999; Epidendrum cingillum Rchb.f. 1882; Epidendrum lamprocaulon Rchb.f. 1852;
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; The Genus Epidendrum Ames 1936; Orquídea (Mexico City). 7(4): 1980 photo/drawing fide; Las Orquedias de El Salvador Vol 3 Hamer 1981 drawing fide; Selbyana Vol 10 Orchids of Central America Hamer 1988 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 1 Plate 28 Hagsater & Sanchez 1990 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 3 Plate 324 Hagsater & Sanchez 1999 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 5 & 6 Orchids Of Mexico Parts 2 & 3 Plate 579 Hagsater, Soto 2002 drawing fide; Orchids of Mexico Hagsater, Soto, Salazar, Jimenez, Lopez and Dressler 2005;Icones Orchidacearum 11 Plate 1126 Hagsater 2008 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 11 Plate 1138 Hagsater 2008 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 13 Plate 1384 Hagsater & Salazar 2010 see recognitioon section; Guia de Orquideas de Chiapas Carlos Rommel Beutelspacher Baigts 2013 photo fide; Algunas Orquideas de Mexico Tomo 1 Suarez 2013 photo fide; Icones Orchidacearum 15 [1] Plate 1501 Hagsater & Sanchez 2015 see recognition section; Orchid Genera and Species in Guatemala Archila, Szlachchetko, Chiron, Lipinska, Mystkowska and Bertolini 2018
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
