Epidendrum infaustum Rchb. f. GROUP Bambusiforme
Photos courtesy of Carlos Keller photo by © Mr. Dedé Morais
Common Name or Meaning The Poor Epidendrum
Flower Size 1" [2.5 cm]
Found in Bahia and Rio de Janiero states of Brazil in mature transitional forests at elevations around 800 meters as a large sized, warm growing epiphyte with erect to pendulous, leafy canes carrying alternate, narrowly elliptic, dark green, faintly keeled, leathery, deciduous leaves that blooms in the summer on mature leafless canes after leaf fall, on several, all along the cane, either sequentially or simultaneously, .2 to .4" [.5 to 1 cm] long, to 7 flowered inflorescence.
This Epidendrum has a resemblance to many of the pendent, leafless, caned Dendrobium in how it flowers.
"Epidendrum infaustum RchB.f. belongs to the GROUP Bambusiforme , characterized by the caespitose habit, cane-like stems, sometimes branching around the middle, with several short, racemose, lateral inflorescences, and the SUBGROUP Bambusiforme which has non-branching canes, a single bract per flower, the lip 3-lobed, and a column with a reduced clinandnum-hood. The species is recognized by the somewhat smaller flowers than the next representitive species, sepals about .4" [10 mm] long, and the midlobe of the lip entire, acute. Epidendrum cancanae has long, narrow leaves, subsessile lateral inflorescences, the 3-lobed lip with an erose margin, and a long, arching column, the flowers white, with the column, sepals and petals slightly tinged greenish pink. Epidendrum cauliflorum also has smaller flowers, sepals 9 mm long, and an apically truncate midlobe. Epidendrum bambusiforme Kraenzlin has taller plants, larger leaves, 10 to 14 flowers, greenish-ochre with a white lip, a shorter, straight column, the sepals are .52" [13 mm] long." Adapted from plate 916 Hagsater etal 2007
Synonyms Epidendrum iguapensis Schltr. 1922
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Orchidaceae Brasilense Band 1 Pabst & Dungs 1975 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 9 Plate 916 Hagsater 2007 see recognition section; The Organ Mountain Range Its History and its Orchids Miller, Warren, Miller & Seehawer 2008 drawing good;
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