Epidendrum sophronitoides F. Lehm. & Kraenzl. 1899 GROUP Takulumena

Photo by © Eric Hunt

Drawing

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

Common Name or Meaning The Sophronitis-Like Epidendrum

Flower Size .8" [2 cm]

Found in Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador in cloud and elfin forests as a mini-minature sized, cold to rarely cool growing epiphyte at elevations of [1400] 2000 to 3400 meters with branching, leafy stems completely enveloped by leaf-bearing sheaths and carrying thick, coriaceous, sulcate mid nerve, dorsally rounded, apically asymetric, often finely erose margins, basally clasping leaves that blooms in the spring on short growths, arising from among the roots at the base of the leafy stems, terminal, short, single flowered inflorescence enveloped almost completely by imbricating, tubular bracts and carries a non-fragrant, non-resupinate flower.

This species has as an overall Vanda-like plant appearance.

"Epidendrum sophronitoides belongs to the GROUP Takulumena which is recognized by the small, Vanda-like plants, with simple, imbricating, distichous leaves, and a lateral complicated inflorescence, producing new, single-flowered segments over several years. The species is recognized by the non-pubescent, greenish yellow to copper-green flowers, the margin of the petals and lip are ciliate, and the apex of the floral segments acuminate, sepals are .4 to .64" [10 to 16 mm] long. Epidendrum dasyanthum Hágsater (syn. Takufumena vazquezii Szlach., Mytnik, A. Rom. & Marg. has all the flora l segments strongly pubescent on the ventral surface, the flowers are salmon pink to reddish, sepals .36 to .53" [9 to 13 mm] long. Epidendrum rhodovandoides Hágsater has cardinal-red to reddish magenta colored flowers, sepals and petals are subacute, small, .16 to .2" [4 to 5 mm] long. Epidendrum psilosepalum Hagsater & E. Santiago has similar colored flowers, but the petals and the borders of the lip are strongly pubescent, sepals glabrous, .28 to .32" [7 to 8 mm] long." Hagsater etal 2008

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Venezuelan Orchids Illustrated Vol 5 Dunsterville & Garay 1972 drawing fide; Orchids of Venezuela, An Illustrated Field Guide Vol 1 Dunsterville & Garay 1979 drawing fide; The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Orchids Pridgeon 1992 photo not??; Manual Of Orchids Stewart 1995; Orchids of Venezuela [An illustrated field guide] Vol. 1 Ramiro and Carnevali 2000 drawing fide; Native Ecuadorian Orchids Vol 2 Dodson 2001 photo fide; Orquideas Nativas del Tachira Cesar Fernandez 2003 photo not; Icones Orchidacearum Vol 11 Plate 1116 Hagsater & Sanchez 2008 see recognition; Icones Orchidacearum Vol 11 Plate 1167 Hagsater & Sanchez 2008 see recognition; Icones Orchidacearum Vol 11 Plate 1172 Hagsater & Sanchez 2008 see recognition; Icones Orchidacearum Vol 11 Plate 1180 Hagsater & Sanchez 2008 drawing hmm; Orquideas, Tesoro de Colombia Vol 2 Ortiz & Uribe 2017 as E cf sophronitoides photo good; Orquideas, Tesoro de Colombia Vol 2 Ortiz & Uribe 2017 photo good; Icones Orchidacearum 16[2] Plate 1676 Hagsater & Sanchez 2018 see recognition section;

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