Epidendrum fritzimegalotylosum Hágsater & E.Santiago 2009 GROUP Andean SUBGROUP Fritzianum

TYPE Drawing by © Lopez and The AMO Herbaria Website

Part Shade Cool LATE Summer EARLY Fall

Common Name The Large Column E fritzianum-Like Epidendrum [Refers to its similarity to E fritzianum and its large column]

Flower Size .8" [2 cm]

Found in southern Ecuador at elevations of 1600 to 1800 meters as a small sized, cool growing monopodial epiphyte with cane-like, erect, straight, subterete, main stem branching subapically in maturity stems carrying 11, all along the stem, alternate, articulate, spreading, somewhat arching, unequal in size, basally smaller, elliptic-lanceolate, acute, minutely ciliate apically margin leaves that blooms in the late summer and early fall on a terminal, occuring only once, racemose, arching-nutant, peduncle short, subterete, with 5 to 6 prominent bracts, successively to 15 flowered inflorescence with prominent, longer than the ovary, triangular-lanceolate, long-acuminate, amplexicual floral bracts and carrying resupinate, green flowers with the sepals having a few purple dots and the apex of the column strongly tinged purple.

"Epidendrum fritzimegalotylosum belongs to the GROUP Andean SUBGROUP Fritzianum characterized by the monopodial stems branched above, the ovate to ovate-elliptic, acute to short-acuminate leaves, lateral sepals obliquely united to the base of the column, and 3-lobed lip. The species is recognized by the elliptic-lanceolate leaves, somewhat arching and unequal in size, the racemose inflorescence with greenish flowers, the apex of the column tinged purple, glabrous sepals .36" [9 mm] long, with a few scarce purple dots dorsally, and the lip with a pair of very prominent, erect, trapezoid calli, and a fleshy thickened disc. Epidendrum fritzianum Hoehne has ovate-elliptic leaves of equal size, a racemose inflorescence, green flowers strongly marked with purple dots, dorsally verrucose sepals, a bicallose lip, with the disc fleshy thickened." Hagsater etal 2009

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Orchidacearum 12 Plate 1247 Hágsater & Santiago 2009 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 13 Plate 1331 Hagsater & Santiago 2010 See recognition section;

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