Epidendrum pittieri Ames 1922 GROUP Andean SUBGROUP Fritzianum

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

Drawing

Drawing by © Dunsterville & Garay and The Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Jany Renz Herbaria Website

Common Name Pittier's Epidendrum [Swiss Botanist 1900's]

Flower Size 1.2" [3 cm]

Found in Venezuela and Colombia at elevations of 2600 to 4000 meters as a medium to large sized, cold growing terrestrial with canelike, laterally compressed, erect, straight, thin, short branched above stems carrying 8 to 30, all along the stems, alternate, articulate, distichous, coriaceous, ovate to ovate-oblong, acute to short acuminate leaves that blooms at most any time of the year on a terminal, racemose, occuring only once, arching-nutant, peduncle, short, terete, thin, lax, 2 to 3.2" [5 to 8 cm] long, simultaneously 7 to 14 flowered inflorescence with prominent, sometimes longer than the ovary, linear-lanceolate, acuminate, amplexicaul floral bracts and carrying resupinate, greenish white to yellowish flowers with the dorsal surface somewhat tinged with purple.

"Epidendrum pittieri belongs to the GROUP Andean SUBGROUP Fritzianum characterized by the monopodial stems branched above, the ovate to ovate-elliptic, acute to short-acuminate leaves, lateral sepals obliquely united to the base of the column, and clearly 3-lobed lip. The species is recognized by the 24" [60 cm] tall plants with ovate to ovate-oblong, acute to short acuminate leaves, greenish white to yellowish flowers, sepals .48 to .56" [12 to 14 mm] long, the midlobe of the lip oblong, apiculate. Epidendrum zipaquiranum Schltr. which belongs to the Cernuum Subgroup and has often been confused with this species, has the leaves upright, parallel to the stem, lanceolate, acute and apiculate to 3.4" [8.5 cm] long, the sepals .24 to .44" [6 to 11 mm] long, and the midlobe of the lip ovate. Epidendrum scabrum Ruiz & Pav. has taller plants to 120" [to 3 meters], a paniculate inflorescence, ovate, acute leaves, yellow flowers, sepals .34 to .4" [9 to 10 mm] long, and the midlobe of the lip is sub-ovate. Epidendrum nevadense Hágsater & E.Santiago has lanceolate, acute leaves, pink flowers, sepals ,28 to .32" [7 to 8 mm] long, and the lateral lobes of the lip very small. Epidendrum fritzianum Hoehne has plants to 60" [1.5 meters] tall, ovate-elliptic leaves 1.4 to 2.4" x .8 to .92" [3.5 to 6 x 2 to 2.4 cm] (on the main stem), green flowers, the sepals purple dotted and dorsally verrucose, .34" [9 mm] long, and the lip with a fleshy, semicircular disc, the midlobe trapezoid." Hagsater etal 2009

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Flora de Venezuela Vol 15 tercera parte Foldats 1970 drawing fide; Venezuelan Orchids Illustrated Vol 6 Dunsterville & Garay 1976 drawing fide; Orchids of Venezuela, An Illustrated field Guide Vol 1 Dunsterville & Garay 1979 drawing fide; Orchids of Venezuela An Illustrated Field Guide Second Edition Romero & Carnevali 2000 drawing fide; Orquideas Nativas del Tachiarta Fernandez 2003 photo ok; Icones Orchidacearum 7 Plate 766 Hagsater and Sanchez 2004 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum Vol 8 Plate 886 Hagsater & Sanchez 2006 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 12 Plate 1245 Hagsater 2009 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 12 Plate 1275 Hagsater & Sanchez 2009 drawing good; Orquideas, Tesoro de Colombia Vol 2 Ortiz & Uribe 2017 photo/drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 16[1] Plate 1618 Hagsater & Santiago 2018 See Recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 18(2) Plate 1886 Hagsater & Jimenez 2021 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 18(2) Plate 1893 Hagsater & Jimenez 2021

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