Epidendrum frutex Rchb.f. 1855 GROUP Frutex Type for the group
In situ Purace Colombia 6/07 Photo by © Jay Pfahl
Photo by © Roberto Angulo
Common Name or Meaning The Shrubby Epidendrum
Flower Size 1/8" [4mm]
Found in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru in high cloud forest scrub at elevations of 2800 to 3500 meters as a giant sized, cold growing terrestrial with an elongate stem enveloped by tubular sheaths and carrying all along the newer stem, linear, acute, basally clasping, articulate to the sheaths leaves that blooms in the spring on a terminal, erect, then arching, paniculate, many branched, many flowered inflorescence carrying gigantic fruit capsules compared to the small flowers.
This species is a giant sized, tiny flowered orchid giving rise to capsules that are 10 to 20 times larger than the flower and are many branched masses within bushes in extremely wet to flooded lands in cloud forests with lots of lichen and mosses.
Epidendrum frutex Rchb.f. belongs to the GROUP Frutex characterrized by the caepitose habit, usutally simple stems, lanceolate leaves, inflorescence lacking spathes, nutant racemes, and a widely cordiform to reniform lip. The species is recognized by the much larger plant and has smaller flowers with a rhombic lip. Epidendrum papallactense has a larger habit overall, the flowers are brownish violet, and the petals have an erose margin. Epidendrum harlingii has a caespitose habit, simple stems, short, lanceolate leaves, nutant branches of the inflorescence, widely cordiform lip, obliquely elliptic petals with an entire lip and the greenish-brown flowers. Epidendrum aquaticoides C. Schweinf. has stouter stems, larger leaves and orange-red flowers." Adapted from Plate 443 Hagsater etal 2001
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Xenia Orchidaceae Rchb.f 1854 drawing fide; *Bonplandia Rchb.f 1856; Orchids of Peru Vol 2 Fieldiana Schweinfurth 1959; Flora de Venezuela Foldats Volumen XV Part 3 1970 drawing good; Venezuelan Orchids Illustrated Vol 6 Dunsterville & Garay 1976 drawing good;Die Orchideen 3 Auflage Bd 1 Sonderabdruck aus Schlechter Lieferung 9 513 - 576 Brieger, Maatsch and Senghas 1977; The Orchids of Venezuela, An Illustrated Field Guide Vol 1 Dunsterville & Garay 1979 drawing good; Icones Orchidacearum 3 Plate 353 Hagsater 1999 see recognition section; Orchids of Venezuela [An illustrated field guide] Vol. 1 Ramiro and Carnevali 2000 as E frigidum drawing good; Icones Orchidacearum 4 Plate 403 Hagsater 2001 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 4 Plate 443 Hagsater 2001 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 4 Plate 468 Hagsater 2001 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum Peruviarum Plate 645 Bennett & Christenson 2001; Orquideologia 24: 3 Ortiz & Hagsater 2005; Orchids of the Department of Valle De Cauca Colombia Vol 2 Kolanowska, Hagsater etal. 2014 drawing; Orquideas, Tesoro de Colombia Vol 2 Ortiz & Uribe 2017 as E aff frutex Drawing/Photo good;
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