Epidendrum melanotrichoides Hágsater & Dodson 1999 GROUP Frutex
Photo by © Alexander Hirtz
TYPE Drawing by © Jimenez and The AMO Herbaria Website
Common Name The Black Hair Like Epidendrum [a misnomer, refers to black like hairs that were found on the type which turned out to be a foreign material on the bracts etc, most likely a fungus]
Flower Size .6” [1.5 cm]
Found in Napo province of Ecuador on the eastern slope of the Andes at elevations of 3450 to 3700 meters as small to medium sized, cold growing terrestrial or epiphyte with cane-like, occasionally branching, terete stems carrying numerous, all along the stem, suberect, narrowly lanceolate, acute, margin entire leaves that blooms in the fall on terminal, without a spathe, nutant, racemose, can produce new racemes even when the previous raceme is still in flower, peduncle short, sharply arcuate-pendant above the first floral bract, to .8” [2 cm] long, successively 1 to 2, several flowered inflorescence with longer than the ovary, spreading, ovate-triangular to acuminate, rugulose floral bracts and carrying resupinate, fleshy, yellowish-green flowers.
"Epidendrum melanotrichoides Hágsater & Dodson 1999 is part of the GROUP Frutex recognized by the caepitose habit, usutally simple stems, lanceolate leaves, inflorescence lacking spathes, nutant racemes, and a widely cordiform to reniform lip. This species is closely related to Epidendrum frigidum, the lip being widely cordiform. In E. frigidum the leaves are much larger, 3.2 to 3.6" [8 to 9 cm] long, the margin revolute, and the apex abruptly acute, the inflorescence longer with the bracts short and at right angles with the rachis, with pink flowers. Epidendrum frutex Rchb. f. has a rhombic lip. There has been much confusion in this group of species, and little detailed work has been done." Hagsater etal 1999
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Orchidacearum 3 Plate 353 Hagsater & Dodson 1999 drawing fide; Native Ecuadorian Orchids Vol 2 Dodson 2001 photo fide;
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