Epidendrum erectum Brieger & Bicalho 1977 GROUP Nocturnum

Drawing by © Jimenez and The AMO Herbaria Website

Common Name The Erect Epidendrum [probably refers to the erect leaves in relation to the stem]

Flower Size 2.4" [6 cm]

Found in Goias and Minas Gerais states of Brazil in the Planalto Central at elevations of 800 to 1400 meters as a medium to large sized, warm to cool growing epiphyte or saxicolous herb with basally terete, laterally compressed towards the apex, simple, straight stems carrying 5 to 15, erect, along the apical 2/3's of the stem, densely aggregate, ovate-elliptic, retuse, aristate, coriaceous, slightly carinate leaves that blooms in the summer on a terminal, pluriracemose, new racemes arise from the internodes of the old peduncle, flowering from the same stem for several years, peduncle inconspicuous, with 3 small, triangular, acute bracts, successively single, several flowered inflorescence with much shorter than the ovary, amplexicaul, triangular acute floral bracts and carrying resupinate, yellowish green flowers with the lip and column white.

"Epidendrum erectum belongs to the GROUP Nocturnum which is characterized by the sympodial, caespitose plants, cane-like, non-fusiform stems, successive flowers on a short, racemose or pluri-racemose inflorescence, without spathaceous bracts, and large, star-shaped flowers, with similar sepals and petals; the flowers are mostly indistinguishable in shape. The species is recognized by the laterally compressed stems, leaves erect, densely aggregate along the upper 2/3 of the stems, length:width = 2 to 4:1 1.6 to 4" x .48 to 1" [4 to 10 x 1.2 to 2.5 cm], the ovary generally 1.8 to 2.4" [45 to 60 mm] long. Epidendrum taguatingense (Brieger & Bicalho) Hágsater, Meneguzzo & L.Sánchez also endemic to the Planalto Central in the Distrito Federal and Goiás states of Brazil, has 8 to 11 erect leaves, spaced on the stem, longer and narrower, length:width = 4 to 6:1 or more 3.2 to 6" x .48 to .92" [8 to 15 x 1.2 to 2.3 cm], narrowly elliptic-lanceolate, acuminate, ovary shorter than the leaves, 2.4 to 2.8" [60 to 70 mm] long. Epidendtrum tumuc-humaciense (Veyret) Carnevali & G.Romero growing along the southern front of the Guyana Shield in Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Surinam and the French Guyana, bordering on Brazil has numerous leaves along the entire stem, erect, occasionally wine-red as well as the stems, ovary 3.2 to 4" [80 to 100 mm] long. Epidendrum nocturnum Jacq. is widely distributed from Florida to Brazil, has terete stems, few leaves distributed along the apical 2/3 of the stems, the ovary 2 to 2.8" [50 to 70 mm] long. Epidendrum tridens Poepp. & Endl. is distributed along the base of the Andes in Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia as well as south of the Guyana Shield in Venezuela, and has 3 to 5 progressively longer leaves, 3 to 5:1, 3.4 to 6" x .8 to 2" [8.5 to 15 x 2 to 5 cm], sometimes wine-red in color, and has a longer ovary 2.4 to 4" [60-100 mm], longer than the sepals 1.6 to 2.52" [40 to 63 mm], peduncle and rachis very short; column straight, .84 to .92" [21 to 23 mm] long; the body of the fruit in at the center of the ovary. Epidendrum carpophorum Barb.Rodr. is similar to Epidendrum tridens Poepp. & Endl. , and is found along the Caribbean coast of Venezuela, Guyana and southeastern Brazil, has green leaves, a slightly arching column and the body of the fruit is located slightly displaced towards the apex upper half of the ovary." Hagsater etal 2015

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Icones Orchidacearum 15 [1] Plate 1520 T. E. C. Meneguzzo & L.Sánchez S 2015 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 15 [1] Plate 1564 Hagsater & Sanchez 2015 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 15 [1] Plate 1566 Hagsater & Sanchez 2015 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 15 [2] Plate 1594 Hagsater & Sanchez 2016 see recognition section;

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