Epidendrum spicatum Hook.f. 1851 GROUP Anceps SUBGROUP Polyanthum
Plant and Flower in situ Galapagos
Photos by Karen L and The Project Noah Website
Type sheet Courtesy University of Cambridge and the University of Cambridge Darwins Plants From the HMS Beagle Voyage - Isla San Salvador Website
MID 
THROUGH LATER
Common Name or Meaning The Spicate Epidendrum [refers to the inflorescence with sessile flowers along an axis]
Flower Size 1.2" [3 cm]
Found in the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador on mossy and lichen covered trees and rocks at elevations of 260 to 900 meters as a small to medium sized, hot to warm growing epiphyte or lithophyte with a simple, cane-like, terete below, laterally compressed above, slightly flexuous stem carrying 9, all along the stem, alternate, articulate, sub-coriaceous, unequal in size, narrowly elliptic, acute, margin entire, slightly revolute leaves that blooms in the fall through spring on a terminal, straight, dense, terete, thin, pluri-racemose, to 18 flowered inflorescence producing successive racemes from the lower nodes, with nearly as long or shorter than the ovary, oblong to narrowly triangular, acute floral bracts and carrying successively opening, several open at a time, resupinate flowers.
"Epidendrum spicatum belongs to the GROUP Anceps SUBGROUP Polyanthum, characterized by the sympodial, caespitose habit, simple, cane-like stems, generally elongate, pluri-racemose inflorescence producing successive racemes over the years, and the fleshy lip. The species has a short inflorescence, about as long as the leaves, successive, green, fleshy flowers, the lateral lobes of the lip unequally dentate. It is somewhat similar to Epidendrum chlorops Rchb.f. from southern Mexico, which has a similar habit, short multi-annual inflorescence and green flowers, but the margin of the lip is entire. There does not appear to be any closely related species in continental South America." Hagsater etal 2007
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Icones Orchidacearum 9 Plate 990 Hagsater 2007 drawing fide; Orchid Digest Vol 78 #1 2014 photo fide; Icones Orchidacearum 17(2) Plate 1793 Hagsater & Jimenez 2020 see recognition section;
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