Epidendrum steyermarkii A.D.Hawkes 1957 GROUP Andean SUBGROUP Cernuum
Drawing by © Lopez and The AMO Herbaria Website
Original Drawing by © Padre Pedro Ortiz Conserved at the Herbario de la Universidad Javeriana, Bogota Colombia
THROUGH EARLY
Common Name Steyermark's Epidendrum [American Orchid Collector in Venezuela 1900's]
Flower Size 1.6" to 2" [4 to 5 cm]
Found in eastern Colombia and northwestern Venezuela at elevations around 1800 to 3250 meters as a large to giant sized, cool to cold growing terrestrial with cane-like, basally terete, laterally compressed above, branching near the apex when mature, erect, robust stems enveloped by leaf bearing sheaths and carrying to 15 on the main stem, 6 to 8 on the branches, all along the stems, coriaceous, alternate, articulate, coriaceous, elliptic to lanceolate, rounded, pronounced nerves, shortly bilobed, the apical margin entire to erose leaves that blooms in the fall through early summer on a terminal, occuring only once, arching-nutant, peduncle short to .24" [6 mm] long, terete, thin, naked, 2 to 2.8" [5 to 7 cm] long, racemose, simultaneously 7 to 14 flowered inflorescence with much shorter than the ovary, narrowly lanceolate, acute, clasping floral bracts and carrying resupinate, yellowish to greenish with a white lip and column, nocturnally fragrant flowers.
"Epidendrum steyermarkii belongs to the GROUP Andean SUBGROUP Cernuum which is characterized by the monopodial, branching habit, the erect cane-like stems with sub-apical branching, racemose, nutant, inflorescence, compact, fleshy flowers, lip three-lobed. The species is recognized by the lax-flowered inflorescence, elongate ovary, 1.4 to 2.48" [35 to 62 mm] long, the large flowers, sepals 1.04 to 1.4" [26 to 35 mm] long, the midlobe of the lip oblong and apiculate, .44 to .56" [11 to 14 mm] long. Epidendrum cornicallosum Foldats has a dense inflorescence, shorter ovary, 1 to 1.4" [25 to 35 mm] long, smaller flowers, sepals .84 to 1.04" [21 to 26 mm] long, and the midlobe of the lip rectangular with a pair of semi-circular lobes at the apex. Epidendrum pichinchae Schltr. has a densely, many-flowered inflorescence with narrow, acuminate floral segments, and the midlobe of the lip forming a long isthmus with parallel sides, apically sub-rhombic with a prominent apiculae. Epidendrum elatum C.Schweinf. has a densely flowered inflorescence, ovary 1 to 2" [25 to 50 mm] long, and the flowers somewhat smaller, sepals .6 to .84" [15-21 mm] long, and the midlobe of the lip sub-quadrate, widely mucronate, .2" [5 mm] long. Epidendrum adamsii Hágsater & Dodson has the ovary .2 to .128" [20 to 32 mm] long, the flowers non-resupinate, sepals .48 to .6" [12 to 15 mm] long and the midlobe of the lip sub-quadrate, .28" [5.2 mm] long." Hagsater etal 2009
Synonyms Epidendrum matutinum Rchb.f. 1850
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 6: 70 Schlechter 1919; as Epidendrum matutinum Flora de Venzuela Vol XV Parte 3 Foldats 1970 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum Part 12 Plate 1260 Hagsater 2009 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum Part 12 Plate 1294 Hagsater 2009 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 14 Plate 1431 Hagsater & Santiago 2013 See recognition section; Orquideas, Tesoro de Colombia Vol 2 Ortiz & Uribe 2017 drawing good/photo ok; Icones Orchidacearum 17(1) Plate 1764 Hagsater & Jimenez 2019 see recognition section;
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