Epidendrum erikae Hágsater & E.Santiago 2015 GROUP Macrostachyum SUBGOUP Macrostachyum
TYPE Photo by © T. Hinestroza/TYPE Drawing by M Jimenenz and The AMO Herbaria Website
LATE
Common Name Erika's Epidendrum [Wife of Eric Hagsater, Epidendrum expert current]
Flower Size 1.4" [3.5 cm]
Found in Colombia mainly on the Cordillera Central at elevations of 2400 to 3600 meters as a giant sized, cold growing epiphyte or terrestrial with branching when mature, cane-like, terete, erect stems carrying numerous, all along the stem, alternate, articulate, suberect, oblong to oblong-lanceolate, obtuse, apical margin slightly crenulate leaves that blooms at any time of the year, on a terminal, erect, without a spathe, occuring only once, racemose, 2.8 to 5.2" [7 to 13 cm] long, successively 2 to 3, 15 to 20 flowered inflorescence with prominent, longer than the ovary, cymbiform, widely ovate when spread, rounded apically, green with the edges dark brown, margin entire floral bracts and carrying non-resupinate, very fleshy, ventrally yellow to lilac on the dorsal surface or totally lilac flowers.
"Epidendrum erikae belongs to the GROUP Macrostachyum SUBGOUP Macrostachyum, which is characterized by the monopodial plants with sub-apical branching, rugose leaf sheaths, large leaves generally spreading, racemose, erect inflorescence, and fleshy flowers generally green to black (ripe olive colored), as well as yellow to pink to purple, with an entire, conduplicate, generally ecallose and pubescent lip embracing the column, and the nectary pubescent to papillose in front of the stigmatic cavity and at least at the base of the lip. The species is recognized by the large, robust plants, the cymbiform floral bracts apically rounded, inflorescence compact, dense, 2.8 to 5.2" [7 to 13 cm] long, and bears up to 20 successive lilac flowers, sepals very fleshy, .56 to .64" [14 to 16 mm] long, petals obovate-elliptic, nearly as wide as the sepals. Epidendrum ariasii Hágsater & Dodson, endemic to Ecuador has reddish-orange flowers, petals widely spatulate, a narrower, triangular lip, and the column ends in a pair of rounded wings. Epidendrum xylostachyum Lindl. has shorter inflorescences, ca. 2.6" [6.5 cm] long, with 7 to 8, pale green flowers, 2 to 3 open at one time, sepals are .56 to .6" [13.5 to 15 mm] long, petals oblong, oblique, somewhat narrower than the sepals. Epidendrum chondrochilum = Syn Epidendrum macrostachyum Lindl. has ovate-triangular, acute floral bracts, somewhat spaced along the rachis, the inflorescence is pyramidal, elongate, ca. 6.4 to 12" [16 to 30 cm] long, flowers are brown-black, resembling the color of ripe olives, sepals .22 to .24" [11 to 11.5 mm] long, petals linear-oblong, much narrower than the sepals, and the shorter column, .28" [7 mm] long." Hagsater etal 2015
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; *Icones Orchidacearum 15 [1] Plate 1521 Hagsater & Santiago 2015 photo/drawing fide; Orquideas, Tesoro de Colombia Vol 2 Ortiz & Uribe 2017 Photo fide;
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