Epidendrum cartilaginiflorum Rchb.f. 1878 GROUP Andean SUBGROUP Soratae

TYPE Drawing by Hagsater & Jimenez and The AMO Herbaria Website

LATER

Common Name The Flexible Yet Firm and Tough Epidendrum [refers to the flowers aspect]

Flower Size .3" [7.5 mm]

Found in Peru in cloud forests to the east of Lake Titicaca at elevations around 3100 to 3200 meters as a small sized, cold growing epiphyte with much branching, arising from a subapical node of the previous stem, erect, thin stem with the main being longer than the branches, and carrying numerous on the main stem, 2 to 3 on the branches, all along the stems, articulate, alternate, lanceolate, acute leaves that blooms in the later fall and earlier winter on a terminal, suberect, racemose, peduncle subsessile, very short overall, simultaneously 3 flowered inflorescence with much shorter than the ovary, narrowly triangular, acute, amplexicaul floral bracts and carrying resupinate, ochre colored, cartilage-like flowers.

"Epidendrum cartilaginiflorum belongs to the 1878 GROUP Andean SUBGROUP Soratae characterized by the monopodial, branching habit, the new stems generally arising from the apex of the previous stem, thus appearing as long stems with lateral inflorescences, acute to acuminate leaves and infundibuliform sheaths. The species is recognized by the very short, few-flowered inflorescences, the ochre-colored flowers, sepals .64" [16 mm] long,column .44" [11 mm] long, and the triangular-cordiform lip. Epidendrum scopulorum Rchb.f. is vegetatively very similar, but the flowers are violet-purple, sepals .36" [9 mm] long, and column .24" [6 mm] long. Epidendrum soratae Rchb.f. has up to 12 flowers on an inflorescence, .28" [7 mm] long sepals, a slightly 3-lobed lip and the ovary ventrally inflated. Epidendrum bolivianum Schltr. has purple-brown flowers, .52" {13 mm] long sepals, and a 3-lobed lip, minutely apiculate." Hagsater etal 2009

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 10: 69 Schlechter 1922; Icones Orchidacearum 4 Plate 436 Hagsater 2001 see recognition section; Orchids of Bolivia Vol II Laelinae Vasquez & Ibisch 2004l Icones Orchidacearum 7 Plate 712 Hagsater and Sanchez 2004 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 7 Plate 723 Hagsater and Sanchez 2004 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum Vol 8 Plate 862 Hagsater & Sanchez 2006 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 9 Plate 988 Hagsater 2007 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 12 Plate 1206 Hagsater 2009 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 12 Plate 1216 Hagsater, & Santiago and Jimenez 2009 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 12 Plate 1248 Hagsater 2009 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 12 Plate 1291 Hagsater 2009 see recognition section;

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