Epidendrum moritzii Rchb.f. 1850 GROUP Andean SUBGROUP Moritzii Type for the subgroup

Plant and Inflorescence in situ Cundinamarca 10/19

Photos by © Jay Pfahl

Full ShadeCoolCold Fall Winter Spring

Common Name Moritz's Epidendrum [German Orchid Collector Venezuela later 1800's]

Flower Size .6" [1.5 cm]

Found in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia at elevations around 1500 to 3100 meters as a small sized, cool to cold growing epiphyte with a short, erect, clustered stem enveloped completely by tubular sheaths and carrying 1 to 2, linear, obtuse, conduplicate below into the clasping base leaves that blooms in the fall, winter and spring on to 5, erect then arching, 8 to 11.2" [20 to 28 cm] long, several flowered, racemose inflorescence arising on a newly developed growth through a thin, erect, elongate spathe.

"Epidendrum moritzii Rchb.f. is part of GROUP Andean SUBGROUP Moritzii and is the type for the subgroup which is characterized by the sub-monopodial, branching habit, adpressed leaf-sheaths, acute leaves, and 3-lobed lip. The species is recognized by the oblong, coriaceous, flat leaves, similar sized flowers, sepals .52" [13 mm] long, but column is straight, and the disc of the lip only has the 2 calli and a single short thickened keel in the middle, without the radiating, short thickened keels. Epidendrum chiquiribambense is recognized by the very tall inflorescence, relatively large flowers (for the group), sepals .52" [13 mm] long, 2 calli, and several parallel to radiating, short, keels. Epidendrum uribei A.D.Hawkes has semi-terete, fleshy leaves, and smaller flowers, sepals .4" [10 mm] long, the midlobe of the lip proportionately shorter and wider." Adapted from E chiquiribambense Hagsater etal Icones Orchidacearum Part 12 Plate 1222 2009

Synonyms Epidendrum stramineum Lindl. 1853

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Bonplandia Rchb.f 1854; Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 6: 70 Schlechter 1919; Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 7: 249 Schlechter 1920; Venezuelan Orchids Vol 3 Dunsterville & Garay 1965 drawing fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 36 #9 1967; Flora de Venezuela Foldats Volumen XV Part 3 1970 drawing fide; Fieldiana Biology, Vol 33, 1st Supple. to the Orchids of Peru Schweinfurth 1970; Orchids of Venezuela, An Illustrated Field Guide Dunsterville & Garay 1979 drawing fide; Native Colombian Orchids Vol 5 COS 1994 photo #911 as E sp soso; Native Colombian Orchids Vol 5 COS 1994 photo #914 fide; Native Colombian Orchids Vol 5 COS 1998 [vol5 #911] as E aff moritzii errata; Orchids of Venezuela [An illustrated field guide] Vol. 1 Ramiro and Carnevali 2000 drawing fide; Orquideas Nativas del Tachira Cesar Fernandez 2003 photo fide; Orchids of Bolivia Vol 2 Laelinae Vasquez and Ibisch 2004 photo good; Orquideologia Vol 26 No 1 2009 photo ok; Icones Orchidacearum Part 12 Plate 1222 Hagsater 2009 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 12 Plate 1227 Hagsater 2009 see recognition section; Las Orquideas del Peru Izerskyy & Bezverhov 2011 photo fide to the second photo; Icones Orchidacearum 14 Plate 1435 Hagsater & Santiago 2013 See recognition section; Orquideas, Tesoro de Colombia Vol 2 Ortiz & Uribe 2017 drawing/photo fide; Orquideas, Tesoro de Colombia Vol 2 Ortiz & Uribe 2017 as E aff moritzii photo good;

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