Epidendrum notabile Schltr. 1923 GROUP Alberti SUBGROUP Alberti

Photo by © Adam Karremans and The Epidendra Website

Drawing

Drawing by © Jimenez, Hágsater & E.Santiago and The AMO Herbario Website

Common Name The Noteworthy Epidendrum [refers to the apical and lateral inflorescence and that the author could not place the species within the genus]

Flower Size 1.2" [3 cm]

Found in Costa Rica and Panama in pre montane, montane and cloud forests at elevations of 1400 to 2200 meters as a medium to giant sized, cool to cold growing epiphyte with an erect, straight, simple, cane-like, terete at the base laterally compressed above, ancipitous towards the apex stem that occasionally forms keikis on older lateral inflorescence and carrying numerous, all along the stem, alternate, articulate, generally deciduous towards the base, unequal in size, subcoriaceous, elliptic to narrowly elliptic, acuminate, margin entire, spreading leaves that blooms at most any time of the year on a terminal and lateral, racemose, peduncle short, totally enveloped by imbricating bracts the base, .4 to 2.2" [1 to 5.5 cm] long, simultaneously 2 to 3 flowered inflorescence with much shorter to longer than the ovary, narrowly triangular, acuminate, conduplicate floral bracts and carrying cucumber scented flowers.

Recognized by its branching stems, short peduncle, apical or lateral inflorescence with shorter than the ovary, acuminate floral bracts and greenish white, to cream colored flowers with the petal margin minutely ciliate-denticulate towards the apex, and the lip is sub-quadrate and slightly pandurate with the margin minutely ciliate-serrulate.

"Epidendrum notabile belongs to the GROUP Alberti which is characterized by the sympodial habit, laterally compressed to ancipitose or somewhat fusiform-thickened stems, the apical or apical and lateral racemose, distichous inflorescence with more or less imbricating bracts on the peduncle, and conduplicate, imbricating floral bracts producing one flower at a time, and the SUBGROUP Alberti, which has apical and more commonly short, lateral inflorescence with several progressively longer, imbricating bracts covering the short peduncle; the flowers are membranaceous, delicate, generally successive, one developing at a time from each raceme. The species can be recognized by the inflorescence with simultaneous greenish white to cream-colored flowers, the sepals .52 to .68" [13 to 17 mm] long, the petals elliptic with the margin denticulate towards the apex, and the subquadrate, slightly pandurate lip, with the margin minutely ciliate-serrulate. It is similar to Epidendrum ingramii Hágsater & Carda-Cruz which is easily distinguished by the large .flowers with sepals .84 to 11" [21 to 25 mm] long, linear-lanceolate petals with the margin entire, and the narrowly cordiform, acuminate lip. Epidendrum ellipsophyllum L.O. Williams is similar vegetatively, but only has an apical, elongate inflorescence 2.4 to 8" [6 to 20 cm] long, subacute floral bracts, pale green, successive flowers, sepals .4 to .52" [10 to 13 mm] long, the ecallose lip slightly 3-lobed, the general outline ovate-orbicular." Hagsater etal 2007

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI *Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 19: 121. 1923; The Genus Epidendrum Ames 1936; Ceiba Vol 5 No 1 L O Williams 1956; Field Guide to the Orchids of Costa Rica and Panama Dressler 1993; Icones Orchidacearum 3 Plate 338 Hagsater & Sanchez 1999 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 4 Plate 478 Hagsater 2001 see recognition section; Manual de las Plantas de Costa Rica Vol 3 Hammel, Grayum, Herrera and Zamora 2003; Icones Orchidacearum 9 Plate 965 Hagsater & Sanchez 2007 drawing fide

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