Epidendrum putidocardiophyllum Hágsater & Dodson 2001 GROUP Andean SUBGROUP Fritzianum

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

Common Name The Stinking E cardiophyllum Epidendrum [refers to this orchid’s odor that separates it easily from E cardiophyllum]

Flower Size 1.6” [4 cm]

Found in northern Ecuador on the Amazon slope of the Andes at elevations around 3000 meters as a medium sized, cold growing epiphtye with branching above, cane-like, laterally compressed stems carrying numerous, all along the stem, elliptic to lanceolate, acute, those of the branches somewhat smaller, apical margin dentate leaves that blooms in the summer on a terminal, without a spathe, racemose, occurring only once, peduncle short, terete, bractless, arching, 3.08” [7.7 cm] long, successively 3 flowered fasciles at each level of the rachis, to 23 flowered inflorescence with about half as long as the ovary, gradually smaller above, triangular, acuminate, floral bracts and carrying resupinate, strongly foul smelling flowers with tepals purple green on the outside, clear green on the inside, and a green lip with purple spots around the column.

"Epidendrum putidocardiophyllum belongs to the GROUP Andean and is recognized by the branching stems and acute leaves, and the SUBGROUP Fritzianum which has a 3-lobed lip. The species is recognized by the partly spreading green flowers with purple dots on the lip, .68 to .72" [17 to 18 mm] long sepals, the oblong petals with a finely dentate margin, single-veined, the vein much branched, the 3-lobed lip with very small, triangular lateral lobes and a large, straight, rectangular midlobe, apiculate and with a semicircular lobe on each side of the apex; the flowers with a strong unpleasant odor unlike E cardiophyllum which has a pleasant odor. It is similar to E. fritzianum Hoehne which has smaller green flowers, the sepals striped black and the lip black dotted in lines, the lateral lobes of the lip rounded and about as large as the cuneate midlobe. Epidendrum lima Lindl. has sepals .6 to .64" [15 to 16 mm] long, petals 3-veined, lateral lobes of the lip rounded, smaller than the cuneate midlobe."

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * cones Orchidacearum 4 Plate 477 Hagsater & Dodson 2001 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum Vol 8 Plate 886 Hagsater & Sanchez 2006 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 12 Plate 1261 Hagsater 2009 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 14 Plate 1475 Hagsater & Sanchez 2013 see recognition section;

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