Epidendrum commelinispathum Carnevali & Romero 2000 GROUP Aquaticum
Photo by T B Croat/Drawing by © drawing by R. Jiménez M. © courtesy of Eric Hagsater and Icones Orchidacearum 16(1): t. 1612 Hagsater etal 2018
Common Name The Commelinaceae-Like Inflorescence Epidendrum
Flower Size .4" [1 cm]
Found in Amazonas state of Venezuela near Brazil in boggy meadows and on ridges at elevations of 2000 to 2700 meters as a large sized, cold growing terrestrial with terete, fairly stout, mostly leafy in the upper half stems carrying thick, very rigid, upwardly inclined, concave above, narrowly lanceolate, acute, basally clasping leaves that blooms in the spring on a terminal, without a spathe, racemose, rigidly erect, rachis stout, distichous, almost simultaneously several flowered inflorescence with wide, fleshy, as long as the pedicel floral bracts and carrying yellowish green flowers.
"Epidendrum commelinispathum belongs to the GROUP Aquaticum which is characterized by the monopodial, branching habit, the distichous, erect inflorescence, with fleshy flowers, and the disc of the lip and/or nectary often pilose. The species is recognized by the ovate-lanceolate, acute leaves .8 to 1.8" x .36 to .44" [2.0 to 4.5 x 0.9 to 1.1 cm], erect, nearly parallel to the stem, the erect inflorescence, floral bracts .2 to .28" x .24 to .32" [5 to 7 x 6 to 8 mm], widely ovate when spread, sepals .4 to .5" [10 to 12.5 mm] long, linear-oblong petals and the lip shallowly 3-lobed, the base shortly narrowly cuneate. Epidendrum urbanianum Cogn., endemic to the Lesser Antilles, has oblong-lanceolate, obtuse leaves1 to 3.8" x .4 to .8" [2.5 to 9.5 x 1 to 2 cm], spreading in relation to the stem, and arching inflorescence, sinuous rachis, floral bracts .2 to .48" x .28 to .4" [5 to 12 x 7 to 10 mm], ovate-triangular and slightly retrorse. Epidendrum durum Lindl. has lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate leaves .8 to 2.2" x .02 to .56" [2.0 to 5.5 x 0.5 to 1.4 cm], an erect, clearly paniculate inflorescence, the racemes spreading in relation to the main axis of the inflorescence, floral bracts small, .16 to .2" x .12 to .16" [4 to 5 x 3 to 4 mm], sepals .26 to .28" [6.5 to 7.0 mm] long. Epidendrum ulei Schltr. has oblong, apically rounded leaves, sub-spreading, margin revolute, inflorescence erect, paniculate, with the racemes spreading in relation to the main axis of the inflorescence, floral bracts .2 to .28" x .16 to .24" [5 to 7 x 4 to 6 mm], widely triangular. Epidendrum luteynii Hágsater & E.Santiago is vegetatively very similar, but the leaves are ovate, 1.2 to 1.28" x .32 to .72" [3.0 to 3.2 x 0.8 to 1.8 cm], floral bracts .12 to .24" x .16 to .2" [3 to 6 x 4 to 5 mm], petals narrowly rhombic and the lip clearly 3-lobed, with the base truncate." Hagsater etal 2018
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; *Orchids of Venezuela, An Illustrated Field Guide Second edition Vol 3 Carnevali & Romero 2000; Flora of the Venezuelan Guayana Vol 7 Steyermark, Berry, Yatskievych and Holst 2003; Icones Orchidacearum 16(1) Plate 1612 Hagsater etal 2018 drawing/photo fide; Icones Orchidacearum 16[1] Plate 1638 Hagsater 2018 See recognition section
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