Epidendrum bractiacuminatum Hágsater & Dodson 1999 GROUP Macrostachyum
Light color form in situ on steep roadbank
Photos by © Joseph Dougherty
TYPE Drawing by © Jimenez, Hágsater & E.Santiago and The AMO Herbario Website
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Common Name The Gradually Tapering Floral Bract Epidendrum
Flower Size 1.2" [3 cm]
Found in Ecuador at elevations around 2100 to 2200 meters along a cold road through the Guacamayo Cloudforest Reserve as a giant sized, cold growing terrestrial with erect, branching above with age stems carrying narrowly lanceolate, acute, the margin apically finely erose leaves that blooms from late spring to fall with a terminal, racemose, occuring only once, erect, slightly flexuous, 5.2 to 8" [13 to 20 cm] long, almost simultaneously 11 to 12 flowered inflorescence arising on the main stem or on mature branches with the color variable flowers pressed by the gradually tapering, curved, twice as long as the flowers, ovate, long-acuminate, undulate margin floral bracts.
"Epidendrum bractiacuminatum is part of GROUP Macrostachyum characterized by the erect, branching, cane-like stems giving rise to an erect to arching, many flowered inflorescence without a spathe the very fleshy lip that is folded and embracing the column and a pubescent to papillose nectary in front of the stigmatic cavity The species is closely related to E. macrostachyum, and is distinguished by its very long, acuminate bracts, about twice as long as the flowers, their margins undulate. All other species in this group have much smaller bracts, at most as long as the flower, and never long acuminate. Epidendrum palaciosii Hágsater & Dodson has flowers about one-third the size, the sepals muriculate outside, not keeled. Epidendrum dermatanthum Kraenzl. has petals nearly as wide as the sepals. Epidendrum coordinatum Rchb. f. has carinate, acute sepals, but the apex of the column has dolabriform wings. Epidendrum macrostachyum has filiform petals. Epidendrum oxycalyx Hágsater & Dodson has acuminate sepals and petals." Hagsater etal 1999
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; *Icones Orchidacearum 3 The Genus Epidendrum Part 2 Plate 317 Hagsater 1999 drwaing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 7 Plate 790 Hagsater 2004 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 13 Plate 1349 Hagsater 2010 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 15 [1] Plate 1538 Hagsater & Sanchez 2015 see recognition section; Orquideas, Tesoro de Colombia Vol 2 Ortiz & Uribe 2017
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