Epidendrum dressleri Hágsater 1987 GROUP Arbuscula SUBGROUP Incomptum

Photo by © Dr Thorsten Kromer and the Universidad Veracruzana Website

Drawing

Drawing by © Jimenez, Hágsater & E.Santiago and The AMO Herbario Website

NOCTURNAL LATE THROUGH

Common Name Dressler's Epidendrum [American Botanist in Costa Rica Current]

Flower Size .8" [2 cm]

Found in Vera Cruz and Chiapas states of Mexico at elevations of 1400 to 1700 meters as a small to medium sized, cool growing epiphyte with simple, cane-like, terete, thin, produced from an intermediate internode at right angles to the previous stem, straight stems enveloped below by tubular, scarious sheaths and carrying, 2 to 3, aggregate towards the apex, alternate, narrowly elliptic, acute, subcoriaceous, smooth, green, margin entire, articulate below into the base leaves that blooms in the late spring and summer on a terminal, occuring only once, racemose, arching, laterally compressed, ancipitose, thin, straight, 3 to 12 flowered inflorescence with a bract at the middle that is similar to the much shorter than the ovary, narrowly triangular, acute, gradually shorter above floral bracts and carrying simultaneously opening, non-resupinte, nocturnally fragrant [Jasmine] flowers.

"Epidendrum dressleri is part of GROUP Arbuscula SUBGROUP Incomptum characterized by the successive lateral growths produced from the middle of the previous growth, few leaves aggregate towards the apex of the stems, a short apical inflorescence with fleshy greenish to violet-green flowers with short ovaries, the lip entire to 3-lobed. The species is recognized by the short, thin stems with 2 to 3 leaves, few-flowered inflorescence with 3 to 12, simultaneous, non-resupinate, dark green flowers, and the wide, reniform lip, .92" [23 mm] wide, the apex forming 4 rounded lobes, and the long ovary 1 to 1.2" [25 to 30 mm] long. It is similar to Epidendrum incomptoides Ames, Hubbard & C. Schweinfurth which has an inflorescence with 6 to 8 yellowish brown flowers, the lip reniform with the apex 3-lobed .5" [12.5 mm] wide, the midlobe entire and apiculate with the short ovary .52 [13 mm] long, slightly inflated. Epidendrum brenesii Schltr. has an inflorescence with 8 to 12[40] violet-green or yellowish green flowers, a reniform, velutinous lip .48 to ,76" [12 to 19 mm] wide, with the apex somewhat 4-lobed, the ovary is short .4 to .72" [10 to 18 mm] long. Epidendrum cerinum Schltr. has larger, olive green or lavender to black-colored flowers, the widely ovate lip with a fimbriate margin, the lip oblique the lip obliquely united to the column and the ovary short .52 to .6" [13 to 15 mm] long." Hagsater 2008

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; *ORQUIDEA (Méx.) 10 (2) Hagsater 1987 drawing/photo fide; Icones Orchidacearum Vol 8 Plate 843 Hagsater & Sanchez 2006 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 11 Plate 1120 Hagsater & Sanchez 2008 drawing fide;

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