Epidendrum fritzidalessandroi Hágsater & E.Santiago 2010 GROUP Andean SUBGROUP Fritzianum

Drawing by © Lopez and The AMO Herbaria Website

Common Name Dalessandro's E fritzianum-Like Epidendrum [Refers to its similarity to E fritzianum and collected by Dalessandro]

Flower Size .6" [1.5 cm]

Found in southern Ecuador at elevations of 2850 meters as a small sized, cold growing monopodial terrestrial with cane-like, erect, straight, main stem branching in maturty stems, short branches arise throughout the apical half of the main stem and carrying numerous, thoughout the main stem, usually with 3 aggregate towards the apex of the branches, oblong-elliptic, subacute, margins entire leaves that blooms in the fall on a terminal, racemose, arising-nutant, occuring only once, peduncle short, terete, smooth, successively 1 to 2, to 6 flowered inflorescence with half as long or more than the ovary, triangular, acuminate floral bracts and carrying resupinate, yellow green flowers.

"Epidendrum fritzidalessandroi belongs to the GROUP Andean characterized by the cane-like stems with subapical branching, leaves membranaceous, acute-acuminate; and the SUBGROUP Fritzianumcharacterized by the branching stems, the branches generally about as long as the main stem, the adpressed leaf sheaths, and 3-lobed lip. The species is recognized by the many simultaneous short, 3-leaved secondary branches, produced from the main stem, about as long as the internodes, few-flowered inflorescence, successive flowers, non-spotted yellow-green flowers, shallowly 3-lobed lip, with a 3-keeled lip. Epidendrum fritzianum has striated leaves, some 6 to 8 on the branches, 30 overall, simultaneous green flowers and ovary with purple-black lines and dots, deeply 3-lobed lip, the cuneate midlobe, and the disc thickened into a thick, rugose protuberance. Epidendrum molaui Hágsater & Dodson has a more lax-flowered inflorescence with smaller, greenish flowers, but the disc of the lip is burgundy red and the midlobe of the lip is rectangular. Epidendrum scabrum Ruiz & Pavón has a similar habit but the flowers are smaller, successive, yellow, and the lip is deeply 3-lobed. Epidendrum fritzicardium Hágsater & E.Santiago has each new successive branch produced from a middle internode of the previous branch and of about the same length, flowers are larger with sepals .68 to .72" [17 to 18 mm] long), and the lip is entire, cordiform. Epidendrum fritzimegalotylosum Hágsater & E.Santiago has narrower elliptic-lanceolate leaves, immaculate green flowers with only the apex of the column tinged purple, and the calli are high and very prominent." Hagsater etal 2010

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Orchidacearum 13 Plate 1331 Hágsater & Santiago 2010 drawing fide

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