Epidendrum tessmannii Mansf. 1928 GROUP Coronatum

Photo by © Breiger

Drawing

Drawing by © M. Pastorelli

MID

Common Name Tessmann's Epidendrum [German Orchid Collector in Peru 1900's]

Flower Size 1" [2.5 cm]

Found in Pasco department of Peru in wet montane forests at elevations around 1000 to 1800 meters as a small sized, cool growing epiphyte with simple, cane-like, thin, straight stems enveloped basally by tubular, non-foliaceous, scarious sheaths and carrying 5 to 9, all along the apical half of the stem, distichous, articulate, sub-erect, narrowly oblong-elliptic, conduplicate below into the clasping base, acute, thin, dark green above, pale green with very small brown dots or specks beneath, margin entire leaves that blooms in the winter on a terminal, arising through a spathe, peduncle short, 5 to 10 flowered inflorescence carrying spreading flowers with the sepals off-white, the petals pale green, the lip off white, the column white with a pale green base, the anther very pale greenish yellow, the polinia dark yellow and the viscidium and caudicles paler yellow.

"Epidendrum tessmannii Schltr. belongs to the GROUP Coronatum , which is distinguished by the relatively large plants, stems with numerous leaves, apical, racemose inflorescence, without spathaceous bracts, large fleshy, waxylike flowers with the lip 3-lobed, bicallose at the base. The species from Peru is recognized by the several erect-arching inflorescences, small greenish flowers, sepals less than .6" [15 mm] long, and the midlobe of the lip reduced, .08" [2 mm] long. It is vegetatively similar to Epidendrum coronatum which is a relatively large plant, subcoriaceous leaves, arching-pendent, racemose inflorescence, without spathaceous bracts, waxy, ivory-white flowers with the apical lobe deeply 2 lobed. It is similar to Epidendrum ammophyllum Barb. Rodr. from Brazil which has an erect, corymbose, few-flowered inflorescence. " Adapted from E coronatum Icones Plate 1103 Hagsater etal 2008

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Orchids of Peru Vol 2 Schweinfurth 1959; Die Orchideen 3 Auflage Bd 1 Sonderabdruck aus Schlechter Lieferung 9 513 - 576 Brieger, Maatsch and Senghas 1977 photo fide; Icones Orchidacearum Peruviarum Plate 253 Bennett & Christenson 1995 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 11 Plate 1113 Hagsater 2008 see recognition section;

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