Epidendrum miniatum Schltr. 1921 GROUP Pachychilum

Drawing by © Jimenez and The AMO Herbaria Website

MID EARLY

Common Name The Rust Red Epidendrum

Flower Size 1” [2.5 cm]

Found in Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia on the upper eastern slope of the Andes at elevations around 3000 to 3600 meters as a small to giant sized, cold growing terrestrial with branching towards the apex, erect-ascending, cane-like, terete stems carrying 11 to 17 on the primary stem, 6 to 9 on the branches, all along the stems, subparellel to the stem, slightly conduplicate towards the base, partly imbricated, coriaceous, lanceolate, acute, minutely apiculate, low dorsal keel, margin crenulate leaves that blooms in the mid winter through early fall on a terminal, without a spathe, racemose, erect, peduncle .52 to .6” [1.3 to 1.5 cm] long, terete, thin, without bracts, 1.4 to 2.8” [3.5 to 7 cm] long overall, helicoid, dense, mostly simultaneously 10 to 15 flowered inflorescence with prominent, as long as the ovary, widely triangular when spread, cymbiform naturally, acute, margin denticulate, tinged reddish floral bracts and carrying non-resupinate, reddish pink flowers.

"Epidendrum miniatum is part of the GROUP Pachychilum characterized by the monopodial plants with sub-apical branching, rugose leaf sheaths, by the relatively small leaves, parallel to the stem, the short, racemose, erect inflorescence, brightly colored flowers, yellow to orange to reddish pink, with an entire, conduplicate, lip embracing the column, without any pubescence in front of the stigmatic cavity nor on the lip, but generally with two small calli. The species is recognized by the smaller plants, up to 48" [120 cm] tall, leaves lanceolate, .6 to 2.4" x .2 to .36" [1.5 to 6 x 0.5 to 0.9 cm], parallel to the stem and partly imbricating; inflorescence dense, with 10 to 15, reddish-pink flowers, including the ovary, sepals .248 to .3" x .14 to .18" [6.2 to 7.5 x 3.5 to 4.5 mm]; apex of column blunt, without teeth. Epidendrum pachychilum Kraenzl. is vegetatively very similar, but the inflorescence few-flowered, with up to 8, sulfur-yellow to green flowers, sepals ca. .44" [11 mm] long, and the lip widely triangular when spread, column with an uncinate tooth each side at the apex. Epidendrum incapachychilum Hágsater & E.Santiago has taller plants, to 60" [1.5 meters] tall, leaves .96 to 2.2" [2.4 to 5.5 cm] long, inflorescence generally lax, with 7 to 9 [12] flowers colored reddish orange to yellowish orange with the ovary green, sepals .32 to .374" x .168 to .204" [8 to 9.4 x 4.2 to 5.1 mm], and the lip widely hemi-orbicular to widely triangular when spread, with a wide apicule, apex of the column with a pair of long straight teeth." Hagsater etal 2016

Synonyms Epidendrum erytropachychilum Hágsater & E.Santiago 2015

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; *Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 8: 75 Ecuador Schlechter 1921 Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. Figuren-Atlas 57: 348 Schlechter 1929 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 15 [1] Plate 1522 Hagsater & Santiago 2015 as Epidendrum erytropachychilum photo/drawing fide Icones Orchidacearum 15[2] Plate 1522a Hagsater & Santiago 2016 photo/drawing fide;

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