Epidendrum microporpax Hágsater 2018 GROUP Porpax SUBGROUP Porpax
TYPE Photo/TYPE Drawing by R Jimenez and The AMO Herbario Website
Another Flower Photo By Ron Parsons and his Flowershots Website
Common Name The Smallest E porpax Epidendrum
Flower Size .4" [1 cm]
Found in Bolivia without locality as a mini-miniature sized, cool tocold growing epiphyte with cane-like, simple, terete, erect, straight to slightly sinuous stems carrying 5 to 6, distichous, fleshy-coriaceous, deep green above, purple-green below; ovate-elliptic, semi-terete, minutely apiculate, margin entire leaves that blooms in the fall in cultivation on a terminal, through a obtuse, greenish yellow tinged with reddish purple spathe, very short, sessile, single-flowered inflorescence carrying a single, resupinate flower without fragrance.
"Epidendrum microporpax belongs to the GROUP Porpax SUBGROUP Porpax, which is characterized by the sympodial, somewhat repent habit, usually forming large mats, short, cane-like stems with very fleshy, succulent, articulate, distichous leaves, single-flowered inflorescence, sessile flowers, and the lip generally reddish purple. The species is recognized by the small leaves .4 to .64" x .16 to .2" [1.0 to 1.6 x 0.35 to .50 cm] on a relatively elongate erect stem, the flowers yellowish green with the center of the lip pale wine-red, sepals small .232 x .1462 [6.3 x 3.6 mm], ovate, and the lip flat, with the mid-rib very short, barely surpassing the calli. Epidendrum porpax has somewhat larger plants with reclining stems, the green flowers with a lustrous, convex, reddish purple lip proportionately wider than long, the apex rounded, sepals .34 to .56" x .16 to .2" {8.5 to 4 x 4 to 5 mm], elliptic-lanceolate, it has been often confused with Epidendrum peperomia Rchb.f. which is vegetatively similar but the lip of that species is orbicular-cordiform, spreading, as wide as it is long, with the apex obtuse; and known only from Venezuela and Colombia. Epidendrum lambeauanum De Wild. has larger, prostrate descending plants, the stems with 4 to 6 lanceolate leaves .68 to 1.58" [17 38 mm] long, the flowers are cream-colored with the lip reddish purple, and the petals linear-oblanceolate. Epidendrum mathewsii Rchb.f. from Colombia, Ecuador and Peru has small, compact plants with erect stems, an orbicular-sub-quadrate lip with the apex obtuse, and linear acute petals. The flowers of all these species are very similar, and best recognized by the vegetative habit. Epidendrum althaniorum Hágsater & Collantes, from southern Peru (Cusco province) and neighboring Bolivia, is distinguished by the linear-triangular, acuminate petals, and the heart-shaped wine red blotch on the lip." Hagsater etal 2018
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Icones Orchidacearum 16[1] Plate 1615 Hagsater & Santiago 2018 See Recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 16[1] Plate 1633 Hagsater & Santiago 2018 See recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 16[1] Plate 1640 Hagsater & Sanchez 2018 drawing/photo fide; *Icones Orchidacearum 16[1] Plate 1643 Hagsater & Sanchez 2018 drawing/photo fide;
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