Anacheilium aemulum ( Lindl. ) Withner & P.A.Harding 2004

Plant and Flowers in situ Tobago

Photos by Patricia Harding.

Common Name The Similar Looking Anacheilium [refering to this plants similarity to A fragrans]

Flower Size 1 .6" [4 cm]

Found in Panama, Antioquia, Santander, Cundinamarca, Caqueta, Meta and Amazonas Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, Guyana, French Guiana, Surinam, Trinidad and Tobago and Amazonas statte of Brazil in wet montane forests at elevations of 650 to 1800 meters as a medium sized, warm to cool growing epiphyte with pyriform pseudobulbs carrying a single, apical, leaf and blooms in the fall and winter on a few [3 to 5] flowered inflorescence arising on a still maturing pseudobulb with non-resupinate, fragrant flowers.

The major difference here between A aemulum and A fragrans is that A aemulum blooms on a newly maturing, ovoid [not tapered] pseudobulb, has smaller flowers, a dense to 2.8" [28 mm long, and a three lobed lip.

Synonyms Encyclia aemula [Lindl.] Carnevalli & Ramierez 1993; Encyclia fragrans subsp. aemula (Lindl.) Dressler 1971; *Epidendrum aemulum Lindl. 1836; Epidendrum aemulum var brevistriatum Rchb.f 1876; Epidendrum apiculatum Lindley 1877; Epidendrum cordatum Vell 1827; Epidendrum cordifolium Steud. 1840; Epidendrum fragrans var. aemula (Lindl.) Barb. Rodr. 1881; Epidendrum fragrans var. alticallum Barb. Rodr. 1881; Epidendrum fragrans var. brevistriatum [Rchb.f] Cogn 1898; Epidendrum fragrans var. janieriense Barb. Rodr. 1881; Epidendrum fragrans var. micranthum Barb. Rodr. 1881; Epidendrum fragrans var. rivularium Barb. Rodr. 1881; Epidendrum lineatum Salisb. 1759; Prosthechea aemula (Lindl.) W.E. Higgins 1997

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

Fl. Flumin. 9: t. 38 Vell 1831 as Epidendrum cordatum nom. illeg.

Edwards's Bot. Reg. 22: t. 1898 Lindley 1836 as Epidendrum aemuelum;

Nomencl. Bot., ed. 2, 1: 557 Steud. 1840 as Epidendrum cordifolium;

Edwards's Bot. Reg. 22: t. 1898 Lindley 1836 as Epidendrum aemuelum drawing fide;

Linnaea 41: 37 Rchb.f 1876 as Epidendrum aemuelum var brevistriatum;

Gen. Spec. Orchid. 2: 136 Barb Rodr. 1881 as Epidendrum fragrans var. aemulum

Gen. Spec. Orchid. 2: 138 Barb Rodr. 1882 as Epidendrum fragrans var alticallum;

Gen. Spec. Orchid. 2: 138 Barb Rodr. 1882 as Epidendrum fragrans var janeirense

Gen. Spec. Orchid. 2: 138 Barb Rodr. 1882 as Epidendrum fragrans var micranthum;

Gen. Spec. Orchid. 2: 138 Barb Rodr. 1882 as Epidendrum fragrans var rivularum;

Fl. Bras. 3(5): 85 Cogniaux 1898 as Epidendrum fragrans var brevistriatum;

Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 10: 69 Schlechter 1922 as Epidendrum aemuleum;

Phytologia 21: 440 Dressler 1971 as Encyclia fragrans subsp aemula;

Venezuelan Orchids Illustrated Vol 4 Dunsterville & Garay 1972 as Syn to Epidendrum fragrans;

Orchidaceae Brasilensis Pabst & Dungs 1975;

Field Guide to the Orchids of Costa Rica and Panama Dressler 1993 as Encyclia aemula;

Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 45: 1257 Carnevali & I.Ramírez 1993 as Encyclia aemula;

Icones Orchidacearum Peruviarum plate 033 Bennet & Christenson 1995 as Encyclia aemula drawing fide;

Venezuela; Paraiso de Orquideas Romero 1997 as Encyclia aemulua photo fide;

Phytologia 82: 376 W E Higgis 1997 publ. 1998 as Prosthechea aemulem;

Orchid Digest Vol 64 #1 2000 photo fide;

Orchids of Venezuela [An illustrated field guide] Vol. 3 Ramiro and Carnevali 2000 as Prosthechea aemula drawing fide;

*The Cattleyas and Their Relatives, the Debateable Epidendrum Withner and Harding 2004 photo fide;

Native Orchids Of Ecuador Dodson 2003 as Protheschea aemula photo ok;

Orquideas Nativas del Tachira Cesar Fernandez 2003 as Prothechea aemuelum photo fide;

Flora of the Venezuelan Guayana Vol 7 Steyermark, Berry, Yatskievych and Holst 2003 as Protheschea aemula drawing ok;

Orquideas de la Serrania del Baudo Misas Urreta 2006 as Protheschea aemula drawing/photo fide;

Orchid Species of Peru Zelenko & Bermudez 2009 photo fide as Prosthechea aemula;

Mille et Une Mini Orchideees Roguenant 2009 as Prosthechea aemuela photo fide;

Orquideas del Peru Freuler 2010 as Prosthechea aemuela photo fide;

Las Orquideas del Peru Izerskyy & Bezverhov 2011 photo fide;

Orchidees Du Bresil As Orchideas da Serra Do Castello Vol 3 Chiron & Bolsanello 2013 as Prosthechea aemuela drawing/photo fide;

Orchid Genera and Species in Guatemala Archila, Szlachchetko, Chiron, Lipinska, Mystkowska and Bertolini 2018 as Prosthechea aemula;

Materials to the Orchid Flora of Colombia Vol IV:401 Szlatchetko & Kolanowska 2023 drawing fide

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