Epidendrum phragmites A.H.Heller & L.O.Williams 1968 GROUP Psilanthermum SUBGROUP Phragmites Type for the subgroup

Photo by © Sune Holt and Flicker Orchid Photo Website©

Drawing

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

Part Shade Cool LATE WinterEARLYSpring

Common Name The Close Connection Epidendrum [refers to the close set cane-like stems]

Flower Size 1" [2.5 cm]

Found in Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Colombia? in wet rainforests at elevations of 1000 to 1400 meters as a large sized, cool growing epiphyte with cane-like, erect, terete to slightly flattened, straight stems carrying numerous, all along the stem, seasonally deciduous, all present the first year, half the second year and only 1 or 2 by the third year, unequal in size, fleshy, articulate, spreading, leaf sheath bases covering the whole stem, the lower sheaths non-foliaceous, the sheaths tubular, green scarious with time, the blade ovate-elliptic to ovate-lanceolate, obtuse, bilobed, coriaceous, darker green and lustrous above leaves that blooms in the late winter and early spring on many lateral, arising from the base of the leaf sheaths, subsessile, peduncle very short, hidden by 3 to 4 short, tubular, imbricating bracts, simultaneously 1 to 2 flowered inflorescence with small, tubular, shorter than the ovary floral braacts and carrying flowers with the lip always facing the rachis flowers.

" Epidendrum phragmites is part of GROUP Psilanthermum characterized by the caespitose habit, cane-like and elongate stems, several short, lateral inflorescences, and the SUBGROUP Phragmites which has generally non-branching stems, sub-sessile, 1 or 2 flowered inflorescences, the flowers green or yellowish green, the ovary somewhat inflated and nearly hidden by 2 to 4 tubular, imbricating bracts. The species is recognized by the simple stems with spreading ovate-elliptic to ovate-lanceolate leaves, the 1 to 2 flowered inflorescence, the flowers pale green to yellowish green, the lip entire (ovate) or rarely slightly 3-lobed, bicallose and bicuniculate, the clinandrium-hood prominent, semitubular. Epidendrum lilijae Foldats has somewhat branching stems with linear-lanceolate, acute leaves, lateral, apparently single flowered inflorescence, the flowers green, the sepals connate at the base, the clinandrium short, not much longer than the apex of the column. Epidendrum leonii D.E.Benn. & Christenson has much shorter plants 11.2" to 14" [28 to 35 cm] tall, with lanceolate, acute leaves, a 2 flowered inflorescence with pale green flowers, the petals and lip with the tips white, the lip clearly 3-lobed, the midlobe triangular, the clinandrium-hood elongate, strongly dentate. Epidendrum tripetaloides Hágsater & E.Santiago, from Nicaragua and Belize, has a single flowered inflorescence, somewhat smaller flowers, sepals .4" [10 mm] long, and a linear-lanceolate lip very similar in shape and size to the petals, but with a single thin, low keel that disappears before reaching the apex of the lip." Hagsater etal 2008

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Icones Planetarum Tropicarum Plate 758 Hamer 1982 drawing ok; Selbyana Vol 10 Orchids of Central America Hamer 1988 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 9 Plate 997 Hagsater 2007 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 11 Plate 1158 Hagsater & Sanchez 2008 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 13 Plate 1371 Hagsater & Dodson 2010 See Recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 15 [1] Plate 1534 Hagsater & Sanchez 2015 see recognition section; Orquideas, Tesoro de Colombia Vol 2 Ortiz & Uribe 2017 drawing fide;

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