Epidendrum fruticetorum Schltr. 1921 GROUP Philippii
Photo by D. F. Tobar S./Drawing by © R Jimenez and The AMO Herbario Website
TYPE Drawing by © Schlechter
Common Name The Bush Loving Epidendrum
Flower Size 1.2" [3 cm]
Found in Ecuador and Colombia at elevations around 2600 to 3150 meters as a giant sized, cold growing terrestrial with almost straight, approximate, simple, cane-like, laterally compressed towards the apex, rebranching from the nodes near the apex of the stems carrying 4 to 6, alternate, articulate, sub-coriaceous, smooth, base conduplicate; sheaths tubular, laterally compressed; blade divaricate, ligulate-elliptic, somewhat obtuse to acute, margin entire, spreading leaves that blooms in the fall, winter and spring on a terminal, arising through 2 to 3, conduplicate, acute, imbricated, covering most of the peduncle spathes, peduncle to 1.2 to 3.2" [3 to 8 cm] long, few bracted, rachis to 2.4 to 4.56" [6 to 11.4 cm] long, decurved, densely 7 to 11 flowered inflorescence with lanceolate-acuminate becoming sub-deltoid towards the apex, much shorter than the ovary floral bracts and carrying resupinate, green somewhat flushed with ochre, lip brown, calli reddish, fleshy; fragrance not registered flowers.
Schlechter stated that this species was related to E cernuum with the hanging clusters of flowers but difers in the labellum.
"Epidendrum fruticetorum belongs to the GROUP Philippii characterized by the sympodial, caespitose habit, apical, erect, racemose to paniculate inflorescence, with a somewhat elongate peduncle, covered by several spathe-like bracts, successive non-resupinate flowers, the 3- lobed lip formed by 4 semi-orbicular lobes, as the mid-lobe is itself more or less bilobed at the apex, the outer margins of the lip more or less denticulate. The species is recognized by the stems covered by striated sheaths, becoming fibrous with time, with 4-6 leaves distributed throughout the stem, conduplicate and ligulate, elliptic, acute, inflorescence recurvate, long, peduncle short, from which new racemes are produced, with 2 to 3, long spathes, covering the whole peduncle, imbricated, with bracts progressively shorter, flowers medium sized, sepals .48 to .64" [12 to 16 mm] long, petals linear-oblanceolate, lip 3-lobed, bicallose, with 3 ribs running nearly the entire length, lateral lobes smaller than the mid-lobe, obliquely subtriangular, the basal margin semi-orbicular, apex acute, margin entire, mid-lobe rectangular, about twice as long as broad, apex triangular and apiculate. Epidendrum trulliforme Garay & Dunsterv. has relatively tall plants, 10 to 24" [25 to 60 cm] tall, leaves distributed along the apical 1/3-1/2 of the stem, inflorescence arching, with a single spathe covering the whole peduncle, floral segments spreading, lip 3-lobed, base sub-cuneate, lateral lobes short and rounded, revolute, mid-lobe with two ribs reaching the middle of the disc. Epidendrum freireanum Hágsater & E.Santiago has 3 to 4 leaves distributed along the apical half of the stem, a single spathe ca. 2" [5 cm] long, ancipitose, not covering the whole peduncle, floral bracts much shorter, not covering the ovary which is short and thick, petals linear-oblanceolate, lip 3-lobed, margins erose, mid-lobe emarginate and appearing twolobed with a wide, low mid-rib. Epidendrum odontospathum Rchb.f. has wide, laterally compressed stem, wide, apically bilobed leaves, the inflorescence with several large, conduplicate bracts, spaced on an ancipitose peduncle, with branches produced from each bract and flowers green, orange-yellow to brown. Epidendrum trilobochilum Hágsater & Dodson has a longer ovary .52 to 1.4" [13-35 mm], sepals elliptic, lateral sepals slightly connate at the base of the column, petals narrowly oblanceolate with apex obtuse, the a 3-lobate lip with a cordate base, wider than longer .36 x .64" [9 x 16 mm], lateral lobes sub-orbicular, obtuse, with the apical margin somewhat straight." Hagsater etal 2019
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; *Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 8: 72 Ecuador Schlechter 1921; Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. Figuren -Atlas 57: 342 Schlechter 1929 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 4 Plate 485 Hagsater 2001 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 4 plate 494 Hagsater & Sanchez 2001 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 4 plate 497 Hagsater & Sanchez 2001 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 4 plate 500 Hagsater & Sanchez 2001 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 16[1] Plate 1607 Hagsater & Santiago 2018 See recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 16(1) plate 1619 Hagsater etal 2018 in recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 17(1) Plate 1721 Hagsater & Jimenez 2019 drawing/photo fide
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