Epidendrum pseudopolystachyum D.E.Benn. & Christenson 2001 GROUP Blepharistes

Photos by © Erica Morón

TYPE Drawing

TYPE Drawing by © M Alcantara and The Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Jany Renz Herbarium Website

Common Name or Meaning The False Polystachyum Epidendrum

Flower Size .6" [1.5 cm]

Found in Peru at elevations around 1800 meters as a small sized, cool growing epiphyte or terrestrial in wet montane cloud forests with ovoid-fusiform, tapering towards the apex, sulcate, of three internodes, obtuse angled pseudobulbs enveloped in youth by evanescent sheaths and carrying 2, oblong-elliptic, acute to obtuse, midvein carinate beneath, conduplicate below into the base leaves that blooms in the spring on a terminal, erect, to 6" [to 15 cm] long, paniculate, densely many flowered inflorescence

Epidendrum pseudopolystachyum is part of GROUP Blepharistes characterized by the base of the stems thickened, forming fusiform pseudobulbs, narrow, linear-lanceolate to linear-oblong leaves, an elongate inflorescence with few-flowered racemes of lilac-pink to white flowers. The species differs from the similar E. polystachyum in the small plants, a gibbous nectary at the apex of the ovary, partially fused lateral sepals, entire labellum margins and a differently shaped labellum midlobe. Bennett & Christenson.

Here is a list of the Peruvian Epidendrum with true pseudobulbs, E blepharistes, E compressibulbum, E harmsianum, E microcattleya, E oellgaardii, E parvilabre, E polystachyum, Epidendrum pseudopolystachum, E rupestre, E saxicola and E viviparum.

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; *Icones Orchidacearum Peruviarum Plate 649 Bennett & Christenson 2001 drawing fide; Orchids of Bolivia Vol II Laelinae Vasquez & Ibisch 2004 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum Vol 11 Plate 1105 Hagsater & Sanchez 2008 see recognition section; LANKESTERIANA 14(1) 2014; Icones Orchidacearum 17(1) Plate 1743 Hagsater & Jimenez 2019 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 17(1) Plate 1790 Hagsater & Jimenez 2019 see recognition section;