Epidendrum purdiei Hágsater & E.Santiago 2009 GROUP Andean SUBGROUP Soratae

TYPE Drawing by © R Jimenez M and The AMO Herbaria Website

Common Name Purdie’s Epidendrum [British Plant Collector 1800’s]

Flower Size .12” [3 cm]

Found in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in northern Colombia without collection data as a monopodial epiphtye with cane-like, terete, newly arising from the apical internodes of the previous stem carrying 5 to 6, all along the stem, alternate, articulate, coriaceous, unequal in size, apical pair smaller, the dorsal surface rugose, tinged with red-purple, ovate-lanceolate, subobtuse, minutely apiculate, margin crenulate, somewhat revolute leaves that blooms on a terminal, subsessile, racemose, peduncle very short, bractless, rachis short, simultaneously 4 to 5 flowered inflorescence with as long as the ovary, triangular, acute, amplexicaul floral bracts and carrying resupinate flowers with no color or fragrance data.

"Epidendrum purdii 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 ovate-lanceolate leaves, dorsally rugose with red-purple blotches, sepals obovate, .14 to .152" [3.5 to 3.8 mm] long, a 3-lobed lip, margin sub-entire, lateral lobes shorter than the midlobe. It is very similar to Epidendrum physopus Kraenzl. (syn. E. trimeroglossum Schltr. & E. schienderi Hágsater) which has linear-lanceolate leaves, sepals oblong-oblanceolate, .24 to .32" [6 to 8 mm] long, the lip 3-lobed, the margin erose-dentate, and the lateral lobes as long as the midlobe. Epidendrum bolivianum Schltr. has oblong-lanceolate leaves .12 to .16" [3 to 4 cm] long; sepals obovate-spatulate, .52" [13 mm] long, 3-lobed lip, .52" [13 mm] long, 3-lobed lip with an entire bridge, the midlobe trapezoid, minutely apiculate." Hagsater etal 2009

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Orchidacearum 12 Plate 1280 Hagsater & Santiago 2009 drawing fide;

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