Epidendrum alfredii Schltr. 1923 GROUP Smaragdinum

TYPE Drawing © by Schlechter The Epidendra Website

LATER

Common Name Alfred's Epidendrum

Flower Size

Found in Costa Rica at elevations of 50 to 300 metrers as a large sized, hot growing epiphyte with erect canes carrying about 20, erect-patent, narrowly lanceolate, acute, fleshy-coriaceous, shiny, basally clasping leaves that blooms in the later summer on a terminal, subsessile, 2.4" [6 cm] long, densely many flowered inflorescence with linear-lanceolate, acute, shorter than the ovary floral bracts.

This species is distinguished by the the short racemose inflorescence with successively few, white flowers with a reniform-subtrilobate lip with 5 to 7 thick veins that are as long as half the lamina and the ovary is not inflated.

E alfredii is part of GROUP Smaragdinum characterized, by the caespitose, sympodial habit the stem carrying many leaves of which the surface is parchment-like when dry, the thickened rachis and carrying small, successive, basaically green flowers. The species is very close if not synonomous with Epidendrum pachyrachis Ames 1923 and is similar to Epidendrum orchidiflorum. Pers comm Eric Hagsater 5/2020

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; *Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 19: 115 Schlechter 1923; Manual de las Plantas de Costa Rica Vol 3 Hammel, Grayum, Herrera and Zamora 2003;

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