Epidendrum pleurothalloides Hágsater 1993 GROUP Spathiger SUBGROUP Coriifolium

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

NOCTURNALFragrant Part shade Cool Cold Winter Spring Summer Fall

Common Name The Pleurothallis-Like Epidendrum

Flower Size 1.2" [3 cm]

Found in Panama in higher cloud forests at elevations of 1750 to 2250 meters as a mini-miniature to small sized, cool to cold growing epiphyte with simple, cane-like, erect, laterally compressed near the apex stems arising from the abbreviated rhizome of the previous stem and carrying 1, occasionally 2, apical, subcoriaceous, elliptic, unequally bilobed, margin entire, articulate below into the base leaves that blooms at most any time of the year on a terminal, simple, racemose, occuring only once, distichous, erect, flexuous, laterally compressed, ancipitose, 3.6 to 7.2" [9 to 18 cm] long, few to several flowered inflorescence arising on a mature growth, with 1 to 5 bracts and with longer than the ovary, acuminate, conduplicate, arched inward floral bracts and carrying 4 to 8, successively opening, non-resupinate, nocturnally sweet greasy fragrant flowers.

"Epidendrum pleurothalloides is part of GROUP Spathiger SUBGROUP Coriifolium characterized by the sympodial habit, coriaceous leaves, and the racemose, distichous inflorescence carrying fleshy green to purplish flowers. The species, at first glance, in large pressed plants of this species look like a Pleurothallis because they usually bear a single leaf at the apex of a long, thin stem. The erect, apical raceme of relatively large, non-resupinate flowers, is reminiscent of several species of the GROUP Rigidum, with its distichous, conduplicate bracts and ancipitous rachis. This combination of features is unique in Epidendrum. Otherwise the species is clearly related to E. coriifolium Lindl. , E. circinatum Ames and a dozen other species in this complex." Hagsater etal 1993

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Orchidacearum 2 Plate 174 Hagsater & Salazar 1993 drawing fide; Field Guide to the Orchids of Costa Rica and Panama Dressler 1993;

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