Epidendrum mutisii Hágsater 1999 GROUP Ramosum SUBGROUP Mirabile

TYPE Drawing by © Jimenez and The AMO Herbaria Website

LATER

Common Name Mutis’ Epidendrum [Spanish Explorer and Botanist 1700’s]

Flower Size 1.6” [4 cm]

Found in Colombia on the eastern slope of the Central Cordillera of the Andes at elevations around 325 to 730 meters as a small sized, hot to warm growing, hanging epiphyte with branching, arising on a median internode of the previous stem, cane-like, laterally compressed, erect, straight stems carrying more than 16, all along the stem, elliptic, emarginate, aristate in the sinus, often very unequal in size on the same stem, subcoriaceous leaves that blooms in the later spring and again in the fall on a terminal, on the main stem or the branches, short, distichous, peduncle with 2 to 4, imbricating bracts, rachis flexuous, successively 2 to 4, 4 to 7 flowered inflorescence with prominent, shorter than the ovary, conduplicate floral bracts and carrying resupinate, white flowers.

"Epidendrum mutisii is part of GROUP Ramosum SUBGROUP Mirabile characterized by the pendent plants, successive stems produced from a middle internode of the previous stem, without any evident main stem; the flowers white to purple and mostly very fragrant. The species is recognized by the pendent habit, with stems produced from the middle of a previous stem, the 4 to 7, white-flowered racemes with distichous bracts clearly separated in a well-developed inflorescence. It is closely related to E. rafael-lucasii which has yellow-green flowers, shorter stems and differs in the apex of the column and lip. Epidendrum mirabile Ames & C. Schweinf. has larger, very showy purple flowers. Epidendrum mora-retanae Hágsater has a long main stem and small branches from which the raceme is produced with compact, imbricating bracts and white flowers. Epidendrum acuñae Dressler also has a main stem with small flowering branches, fleshy leaves but has a raceme of two greenish brown flowers." Hagsater etal 1999

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Orchidacearum 3 Plate 359 Hagsater 1999 drawing fide;

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