Epidendrum imperator Hágsater. 2004 GROUP Secundum SUBGROUP Elongatum
Photos by © Jay Pfahl
TYPE Drawing by © Jimenez, Hágsater & E.Santiago and The AMO Herbario Website
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Common Name The Majestic Epidendrum
Flower Size 1.2" [3 cm]
Found in Antioquia department of Colombia on the Central Cordillera at elevations of 1700 to 2500 meters on rocks as a giant sized, cool to cold growing lithophyte with cane-like terete stems carrying 12 to 16, ovate, apically bilobed, coriaceous, basally clasping leaves that can bloom at most any time of the year on a terminal, pluri-racemose, erect, 2' [60 cm] long, many flowered inflorescence enveloped completely by tubular, obtuse sheaths and has successive, non-resupinate flowers with up to 8 open on any raceme.
"Epidendrum imperator belongs to the GROUP Secundum , characterized by the sympodial habit, cane-like stems, numerous leaves, usually elongate pedunde of the inflorescence, the brightly-colored flowers produced on a short raceme, several at a time in succession over a long period, and the SUBGROUP Elongatum which has non-resupinate flowers, the lip with a complicated callus. The species has large, bright red flowers with a masslve white callus, the sepals and petals are narrow and acute, the lip appears three cornered as the front margin of the lateral lobes is revolute in natural position, with a massive, wide, three-pointed callus. It is dosely related and has been confused with Epidendrum catillus which has wider, obtuse segments and the callus of the lip is narrow and elliptic. Epidendrum igneum Hágsater has smaller flowers, wider segments and the lip has a fleshy red callus with two small yellow mounds near the base. Epidendrum vinosum Rchb. f. (often confused wilh E. catillus), has a small, triangular lip with wine-pink flowers and occurs on the eastern slopes of the Andes in Ecuador and Peru." Hagsater etal 2004
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Icones Orchidacearum 7 Plate 747 Hagsater & Sanchez 2004 see recognition section; * Icones Orchidacearum 7 Plate 748 Hagsater & Sanchez 2004 drawing fide; Las Orquideas del Peru Izerskyy & Bezverhov 2011 photo fide; Icones Orchidacearum 14 Plate 1491 Hagsater & Santiago 2013 See recognition section; Orquideas, Tesoro de Colombia Vol 2 Ortiz & Uribe 2017 drawing/Photo fide; Icones Orchidacearum 17(1) Plate 1718 Hagsater & Jimenez 2019 see recognintion section; Icones Orchidacearum 18(2) Plate 1897 Hagsater & Jimenez 2021 see recognintion section
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