Epidendrum torquatum Lindl. 1845 GROUP Andean SUBGROUP Cernuum

Drawing by © Jimenez and The AMO Herbaria Website

MID THROUGH EARLY

Common Name The Twisted Epidendrum [It is not clear what Lindley was refering to]

Flower Size .4" [1 cm]

Found in Colombia and Ecuador in the interandean valley at elevations of 2800 to 3500 meters as a giant sized, cold growing terrestrial with cane-like, terete, straight, main stem branching above, branches much shorter stems carrying 11 to 25 on the main stem, 4 to 7 on the branches, almost all along the stem, distichous, articulate, erect-spreading, coriaceous, oblong, obtuse, apex slightly bilobed, margin entire leaves that blooms in the mid fall through early summer on a terminal, occuring only once, racemose, nutant, peduncle sub-terete, .48" [1.2 cm] long, densely, simultaneously 11 to 13 flowered inflorescence with shorter than the ovary, linear-triangular, acuminate, amplexicaul floral bracts and carrying resupinate, very fleshy, glabrous, yellow to greenish white, sweetly slightly fragrant flowers.

"Epidendrum torquatum belongs to the GROUP Andean SUBGROUP Cernuum, characterized by the monopodial habit, cane-like stems with sub-apical branches which are considerably shorter than the main stem, coriaceous to subcoriaceous leaves, apex bilobed, and fleshy flowers, the lip 3-lobed. The species is recognized by the oblong, obtuse, .52 to 2.6" [1.3 to 6.5 cm] long leaves, fleshy flowers, lateral sepals narrowly elliptic, short acuminate,.44 to .48" [11 to 12 mm] long, the petals oblanceolate-spatulate, .12 to .16" [3 to 4 mm] wide, and the lateral lobes of the lip flabelliform, wider than the midlobe, the midlobe cuneate with a tridentate apex. Epidendrum mojandae Schltr. is very similar, but the flowers are slightly larger, sepals .56 to .6" [14 to 15 mm] long, the lateral lobes of the lip are as wide as the midlobe, and the apex of the midlobe is emarginate, and minutely apiculate. Epidendrum pastoënse Schltr., which grows on the border between Ecuador and Colombia, has a prominent mucro at the apex of the sepals, elliptic petals, and the lateral lobes of the lip dolabriform. Epidendrum jaramilloi Hágsater & Dodson is vegetatively similar, but the flowers are quite different, especially in the shape of the lip and the prominent thickened disc." Hagsater etal 2009

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 7: 252 Schlechter 1920; Flora of Venezuela Vol 15 Parte 3 Foldats 1970; Icones Orchidacearum 7 Plate 725 Hagsater and Sanchez 2004 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 12 Plate 1221 Hagsater 2009 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 12 Plate 1231 Hagsater 2009 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 12 Plate 1265 Hagsater 2009 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 12 Plate 1272 Hagsater 2009 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 12 Plate 1295 Hagsater 2009 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 12 Plate 1298 Hagsater & Santiago 2009 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 12 Plate 1300 Hagsater 2009 see recognition section;

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