Epidendrum atacazoicum Schltr. 1921 GROUP Pseudepidendrum SUBGROUP Porphyreum
Photo by © Lourens Grobler
Photos by © Eric Hunt
Drawing by © Jimenez, Hágsater & E.Santiago and The AMO Herbario Website
Common Name The Atacazo Epidendrum [Volcano in Ecuador] in Ecuador Flor de Cristo
Flower Size .25" [6 mm]
Found in Ecuador on the Pacific slope of the Andes in upper montane wet forests at elevations of 380 to 2900 meters as a large sized, hot to cold growing terrestro-lithophyte or epiphyte with an erect, leafy stem carrying erect-patent, elliptic-oblong, acuminate, 4.8" [12 cm] long leaves that blooms in the summer and fall on a terminal, 9.2" [23 cm] long, paniculate, each branch 6" [15 cm] long, compact, pyramid-like inflorescence with erect-patent, linear, acuminate floral bracts and carrying non-fragrant flowers.
"Epidendrum atacazoicum belongs to the GROUP Pseudepidendrum SUBGROUP Porphyreum which is recognized by the caespitose habit, unbranched stems, apical, branched inflorescence, no spathe, and the flowers with a 3-lobed lip with the mid-lobe generally bifurcate and divaricate, and filiform petals. The species is recognized by the pyramid-shaped inflorescence with small, rose-lilac flowers, the lip lighter colored, the sepals .3 to .34" [7.5 to 8.5 mm] long, sepals and the ovary with small warts, mid-lobe of the lip forming a pair of linear-oblong lobes, the apices rounded. Epidendrum porphyreum Lindl. has a nonpyramid-like, paniculate inflorescence, with larger, magenta flowers with the sepals .52 to .6" [13 to 15 mm] long, the disc white, the mid-lobe of the lip forms a pair of triangular, slightly divaricate, the apices obtuse. Epidendrum amplum D.E.Benn. & Christenson has the inflorescence with the branches arranged in the same plane, sepals and ovary smooth, and the lip differently proportioned with the lateral lobes sub-rectangular, narrower than the mid-lobe. Epidendrum peraltum Schltr. has greenish yellow flowers tinged with pink to totally dirty pink, sepals .56 to .64" [14 to 16 mm] long, dorsally smooth, and the lateral lobes of the lip falcate-oblong, strongly reflexed, the bilobed mid-lobe with a pair of strongly divaricate, linear lobes." Hagsater etal 2010
Synonyms Epidendrum bifalce Schltr. 1921
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; *Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 8: 67 Schlechter 1921; Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 8: 67 1921 as E bifalce; Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. Figuren -Atlas 57: 334 Schlechter 1929 drawing fide; Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. Figuren -Atlas 57: 457 Schlechter 1929 as E bifalce drawing fide; Icones Planetarum Tropicarum Plate 461 Dodson 1989 drawing fide; Icones Planetarum Tropicarum Series II plate 0218 Dodson & Vasquez 1989 as E bifalce drawing good; Icones Planetarum Tropicarum Plate 462 Dodson 1989 as E bifalce drawing good; Icones Orchidacearum Peruviarum Plate 447 Bennett & Christenson 1998 See comments; Icones Orchidacearum 4 plate 416 Hagsater & Salazar 2001 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 4 Plate 447 Hagsater 2001 see recognition section; Orchids of Bolivia Vol 2 Laelinae Vasquez and Ibisch 2004 as E bifalce Drawing ; Icones Orchidacearum 13 Plate 1303 Hagsater 2010 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 13 Plate 1305 Hagsater & Sanchez 2010 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum Part 13 Plate 1377 Hagsater 2010 see recognition section; Orchids of Tropical America Meisel 2014 photo fide; as E bifalce; AOS Bulletin Vol 85 #12 2016 photo fide; Orquideas, Tesoro de Colombia Vol 2 Ortiz & Uribe 2017 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 88 #2 2019 photo fide; Icones Orchidacearum 18(2) Plate 1856 Hagsater & Jimenez 2011 see recogntion section
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