Epidendrum subpurum Rchb.f. 1854 GROUP Amblostoma SUBGROUP Amblostomioides
Photos by © Karl Senghas and Swiss Orchid Foundatiion at the Jany Renz Herbaria Website
LATE
Common Name The Almost Epidendrum purum Epidendrum
Flower Size 1/4" [7mm]
Found in Trinidad & Tobago, Venezuela, Brazil and Ecuador on coffee shade trees at elevations around 1200 meters as a small sized, cool growing epiphyte with erect, terete below, thickening towards the middle stem enveloped by close fitting, tubular, grey sheaths and carrying on the apical half, up to 15, linear, sub-mucronate apically, mid nerve lightly sulcate leaves that blooms in the late winter and spring on a terminal, erect, paniculate, to 6" [15 cm] long, many flowered inflorecescence with delicately scented flowers
CAUTION I have no way of verifying this determination so please use with caution.
This species is said to be synomonous with E hartii so if true then this name takes precedence.
"Epidendrum subpurum Rchb.f. belongs to the GROUP Amblostoma SUBGROUP Amblostomioides recognized by the sympodial habit, with somewhat fusiform-thickened stems, sub-coriaceous, bilobed leaves, paniculate inflorescence, and ovary or flowers often pubescent, lip 3-lobed. The species is recognized by a racemose inflorescence, laxly few-flowered, sepals .32" [8 mm] long, lateral lobes of the lip ovoid, acute. Epidendrum sanctae-rosae has nutant, many-flowered inflorescence, the flowers densely packed throughout the branches, on very short ovaries; the flowers small, sepals .24 x .12" [6 x 3 mm], disc of the lip provided with 3 very short, prominent ribs, reaching the base of the midlobe, united at the base, apically narrowly rounded, the mid-rib straight, the lateral ribs divergent, formed by a simple rib with a wider, sulcate rib on top; lateral lobes .08 x .12" [2 x 3 mm], transversely elliptic; mid-lobe .1 x .1" [2.5 x 2.5 mm], sub-quadrate, corners rounded, apex somewhat emarginate. Epidendrum purum Lindl. has oblong leaves 6.24 to 8.32" x .52" [15.6 to 20.8 x 1.3 cm], an erect inflorescence with larger flowers, sepals .48 to .52" [12-13 mm] long, narrowly lanceolate, acuminate, dorsal sepal spreading, petals linear, spreading, and the apex of dolabriform lateral lobes of the lip acute. " Adapted from plate 1657 Hagsater etal 2018
Synonyms Amblostoma subpurum (Rchb.f.) Pabst 1977;
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 6: 73 Schlechter 1919; Venezuelan Orchids Illustrated Vol 4 Dunsterville & Garay 1966 drawing ok; Flora de Venezuela Volumen 15 Parte 3 Foldats 1970 drawing ok; AOS Bulletin Vol 44 #4 1975; Orchidaceae Brasilense Band 1 Pabst & Dungs 1975 drawing ok; Orchids of Venezuela an Illustrated Field Guide Vol 1 Dunsterville & Garay 1979 drawing ok; Orchids of Venezuela [An illustrated field guide] Vol. 1 Ramiro and Carnevali 2000 drawing ok; Rudolf Schlechter Die Orchideen Band 1C lieferung 42 - 43 pg 2626 - 2762 Brieger 2001 as Amblostoma subpurum; Boletim CAOB No 62 2006 photo ok; Orquideas, Tesoro de Colombia Vol 2 Ortiz & Uribe 2017 drawing ok; Icones Orchidacearum 16[1] Plate 1657 Hagsater & Sanchez 2018 see recognitiom section;
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