Epidendrum physopus Kraenzl. 1905 GROUP Andean SUBGROUP Soratae

Drawing by © Jimenez and The AMO Herbaria Website

EARLY

Common Name The Bladder Footed Epidendrum [refers to the somewhat inflated base of the column]

Flower Size .6” [1.5 cm]

Found in Colombia on the Cordillera Oriental and in southern Peru at elevations of 2500 to 3700 meters as a miniature to small sized, cold growing epiphyte with cane-like, branching subapically, laterally compressed, flexuous, branches shorter than the main stems carrying 9 to 12, all along the stem, suberect, articulate, coriaceous, linear to linear-lanceolate, minutely apiculate, apical margins crenate leaves that blooms in the summer through early winter on a terminal, racemose, arching-nutant, peduncle short, .12 to .2" [3 to 5 mm] long, thin, .6" [1.5 cm] long overall, lax, successively 2 to 5 flowered inflorescence with half as long as the ovary, oblong, acute floral bracts and carrying small, glabrous, greeen or yellow green flowers that are somewhat tinged with purple.

"Epidendrum physopus belongs to GROUP Andean SUBGROUP Soratae which is characterized by the branching habit starting on a primary stem, infundibuliform, rugose leaf sheaths, lanceolate, aristate, acute leaves, racemose sub-capitate inflorescence on a short, thin peduncle, and the bicallose lip. The species is recognized by the small sized plants, to 8" [20 cm] tall, linear to linear-lanceolate leaves .48 to 1.2" x .8 to .14" [1.2 to 3 x 0.2 to .35 cm, 2 to 5 green or yellow-green flowers tinged with reddish, sepals and petals .24 to .32" [6 to 8 mm] long, and the 3-lobed lip with lateral lobes obliquely semiovate obtuse and midlobe narrowly triangular. Epidendrum soratae Rchb.f. is vegetatively similar, but the leaves are lanceolate, .68 to 1.88" x .16 to .32" [1.7 to 4.7 x 0.4 to 0.8 cm], has 8 to 12 flowers per raceme, and the lip is slightly 3-lobed, with the midlobe very short. Epidendrum pachyphylloides Hágsater & E.Santiago has narrowly lanceolate leaves ca. .4" [1 cm] long, yellow flowers with .16 to .2" [4 to 5 mm] long sepals and petals, and a 3-lobed lip with the lateral lobes shorter than the midlobe. Epidendrum colliculosum Hágsater & E.Santiago has up to 10, white colored flowers diffused with purple, sepals .2 to .26" [5 to 6 mm] long, and a 3-lobed lip with dolabriform lateral lobes and a rectangular midlobe, the apex truncate." Hagsater etal 2009

Synonyms Epidendrum schneideri Hágsater 2001; Epidendrum trimeroglossum Schltr. 1920

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Orchids of Peru Vol 2 Schweinfurth 1959; Icones Orchidacearum 8 Plate 886 Hagsater & Santiago 2006 as E schneideri drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 12 Plate 1273 Hagsater & Santiago 2009 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 12 Plate 1280 Hagsater 2009 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 13 Plate 1388 Hagsater & Santiago 2010 as E schneideri See recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 14 Plate 1459 Hagsater & Sanchez 2013 see recognition section; Orquideas, Tesoro de Colombia Vol 2 Ortiz & Uribe 2017; Orquideas, Tesoro de Colombia Vol 2 Ortiz & Uribe 2017 as E schneideri drawing good; Icones Orchidacearum 18(2) Plate 1870 Hagsater & Jimenez 2021

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------