Epidendrum strobilicaule Hágsater & Benelli. 2008 GROUP Physinga

TYPE Drawing by © Jimenez and The AMO Herbaria Website

Common Name The Cone-Like Stem Epidendrum [refers to the pseudobulb shape]

Flower Size .4" [1 cm]

Found in Mata Grosso state of Brazil in the Chapada do Guimaraes and the Serra de Sao Vicente at elevations of 550 to 700 meters as a medium sized, warm growing lithophyte with cane-like, basally thickened, becoming progressively thinner above, [somewhat like an inverted carrot], long-conical, 7 to 12 noded stems that are equal in length carrying 3 to 6, all along the apical 1/3rd of the stem, subcoriaceous, spreading, elliptic-lanceolate, acute, margin entire, grey-green leaves that blooms in the fall through winter on a terminal, without a spathe, elongate, straight, pluri-racemose, peduncle 2 to 8" [5 to 20 cm] long, terete, thin, straight, provided with 5 to 7 imbricating, tubular, laterally compressed, ancipitous, acuminate, decreasing in size above bracts, rachis .2 to 1" [.5 to 2.5 cm] long, terete, thin, flexuous, sucessively 2 to 4, 4 to 14 flowered inflorescence with much shorter than the ovary, infundibuliform, oblique, acute floral bracts and carrying resupinate, non-fragrant, green flowers with the lip tinged with burgundy red and the lip margins are greenish.

"Epidendrum strobilicaule belongs to the GROUP Physinga which is characterized by the caespitose plants, the apical and racemose inflorescence producing new racemes with time and thus pluriracemose, the successlve flowers opening one at a time on an elongate peduncle with acuminate bracts, the lip entire and the ovary with a prominent vesicle. The species is recognized by the relatively large rupiculous plants, with the base of the stems thickened and progressively attenuate, the lip is obreniform, spreading, and the clinandrium-hood much reduced and entire, exposing the anther cap totally. Epidendrum prostratum (Lind!.) Cogn. has small plants with thin stems, but the sepals and petals are partly spreading, the base of the lip deeply cordate, with 3 prominent keels on the disc, and the prominent clinandrium-hood deeply emarginate. Epidendrum physodes Rchb.f. also has thin stems, the leaves inserted at a 45' angle to the stem, lanceolate, short-acuminate, gray-green leaves 1.6 to 2,8" [3.5 to 7 cm] long, spreading petals, the lip transversely elliptic with a pair of prominent, rounded calli in front of the column, and the clinandrium-hood short, fleshy, the margin slightly crenate. Epidendrum acreense (Brieger & Bicalho) EA Christenson found due west of this species, at the foot of the Andes, has white flowers, a transversely oblong, strongly concave lip embracing the column and a prominent, bifid clinandrium-hood." Hagsater etal 2008

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Orchidaeacrum 11 Plate 1184 Hagsater & Benelli 2008 drawing fide;

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