Epidendrum calanthum
Encyclopedia
Epidendrum calanthum is a terrestrial reed-stemmed Epidendrum
orchid
from the montane Tropical rainforest
of Bolivia
(including Cochabamba
), Colombia
, Ecuador
, Peru
, Venezuela
, and the West Indies.
Lindl. (1842) a sympodial
habit, terete stems covered from the base with close, tubular, disthicous sheathes which are leaf-bearing on the upper part of the stem, and a terminal peduncle
covered from its base with close, tubular sheathes. The stem grows to 1 m tall below the inflorescence, and the inflorescnece itself grow to 0.4 m tall, with the white to pink resupinate flowers born in a congested raceme at the end. The leaves grow to 10 cm long. The oblong sepals are 9 mm long. The petals are 9 mm long and narrower than the sepals, with serulate to erose edges. The broad, lacerate lip
is adnate to the column
to its apex, and is trilobate, as is typical for the section E. sect. Schistochila
, although the lacerations on the margins of the lobes are nearly as deep as the lacunae between the lobes, making the lip almost seem to be entire. The central lobe is divided in two at the apex and bears the keel or carina typical of the subsection E. subsect. Carinata
beginning near the apex of the column between two small bumps and extending nearly to the apex of the lip. The chromosome number of E. calanthum is 2n = 30.
Although E. calanthum bears a remarkable similarity to E. imatophyllum
due to both species having nearly undivided lips, Dodson & Vásquez 1989 notes that they can be easily distinguished because E. calanthum has resupinate flowers, whereas the flowers of E. imatophyllum are non-resupinate.
The diploid chromosome
number of E. calanthum has been determined as 2n = 30.
Epidendrum
Epidendrum , abbreviated Epi in horticultural trade, is a large neotropical genus of the orchid family. With more than 1,100 species, some authors describe it as a mega-genus. The genus name refers to its epiphytic growth habit...
orchid
Orchidaceae
The Orchidaceae, commonly referred to as the orchid family, is a morphologically diverse and widespread family of monocots in the order Asparagales. Along with the Asteraceae, it is one of the two largest families of flowering plants, with between 21,950 and 26,049 currently accepted species,...
from the montane Tropical rainforest
Tropical rainforest
A tropical rainforest is an ecosystem type that occurs roughly within the latitudes 28 degrees north or south of the equator . This ecosystem experiences high average temperatures and a significant amount of rainfall...
of Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
(including Cochabamba
Cochabamba Department
Cochabamba is one of the nine component departments of Bolivia. It is known to be the "granary" of the country because of its variety of agricultural products due to Cochabamba's geographical position. It has an area of 55,631 km². Its population, in the 2007 census, was 1,750,000...
), Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
, Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, and the West Indies.
Description
E. calanthum shares with other members of the subgenus E. subg. AmphiglottiumEpidendrum subg. Amphiglottium
Epidendrum subg. Amphiglottium Lindl. 1841 is a subgenus of reed-stemmed Epidendrums, distinguished by an apical inflorescence with the peduncle covered from its base with close imbricating sheaths and by a lip that is adnate to the column to its apex.Reichenbach published three sections in this...
Lindl. (1842) a sympodial
Sympodial
Sympodial means "with conjoined feet", and in biology is often used to refer to the outward morphology or mode of growth of organisms.-In botany:...
habit, terete stems covered from the base with close, tubular, disthicous sheathes which are leaf-bearing on the upper part of the stem, and a terminal peduncle
Peduncle (botany)
In botany, a peduncle is a stem supporting an inflorescence, or after fecundation, an infructescence.The peduncle is a stem, usually green and without leaves, though sometimes colored or supporting small leaves...
covered from its base with close, tubular sheathes. The stem grows to 1 m tall below the inflorescence, and the inflorescnece itself grow to 0.4 m tall, with the white to pink resupinate flowers born in a congested raceme at the end. The leaves grow to 10 cm long. The oblong sepals are 9 mm long. The petals are 9 mm long and narrower than the sepals, with serulate to erose edges. The broad, lacerate lip
Labellum
Labellum is the Latin diminutive of labium, meaning lip. These are anatomical terms used descriptively in biology, for example in Entomology and botany.-Botany:...
is adnate to the column
Column (botany)
The column, or technically the gynostemium, is a reproductive structure that can be found in several plant families: Aristolochiaceae, Orchidaceae, and Stylidiaceae....
to its apex, and is trilobate, as is typical for the section E. sect. Schistochila
Epidendrum sect. Schistochila
Epidendrum sect. Schistochila Rchb.f. is a section of the subgenus E. subg. Amphiglottium Lindl. of the Genus Epidendrum of the Orchidaceae...
, although the lacerations on the margins of the lobes are nearly as deep as the lacunae between the lobes, making the lip almost seem to be entire. The central lobe is divided in two at the apex and bears the keel or carina typical of the subsection E. subsect. Carinata
Epidendrum subsect. Carinata
Epidendrum subsect. Carinata Rchb.f. is a subsection of the section E. sect. Schistochila Rchb.f. of the subgenus E. subg. Amphiglottium Lindl. of the genus Epidendrum of the Orchidaceae...
beginning near the apex of the column between two small bumps and extending nearly to the apex of the lip. The chromosome number of E. calanthum is 2n = 30.
Although E. calanthum bears a remarkable similarity to E. imatophyllum
Epidendrum flexuosum
Epidendrum flexuosum, a reed-stemmed Epidendrum common at mid-altitudes in Central America, is a species of orchid commonly called Epidendrum imatophyllum. It grows exposed to intense sunlight in the forest canopy, particularly on Guava species...
due to both species having nearly undivided lips, Dodson & Vásquez 1989 notes that they can be easily distinguished because E. calanthum has resupinate flowers, whereas the flowers of E. imatophyllum are non-resupinate.
The diploid chromosome
Chromosome
A chromosome is an organized structure of DNA and protein found in cells. It is a single piece of coiled DNA containing many genes, regulatory elements and other nucleotide sequences. Chromosomes also contain DNA-bound proteins, which serve to package the DNA and control its functions.Chromosomes...
number of E. calanthum has been determined as 2n = 30.
Homonymy
- Epidendrum calanthum var. revertianum Stehlé (1939) and Epidendrum calanthum subsp. revertianum (Stehlé) Sastre (1990) are now recognized as synonyms for Epidendrum revertianum (Stehlé) Hágsater (1993).
- Epidendrum calanthum var. rubrum Stehlé (1939) is now recognized as a synonym for Epidendrum rubroticum Hágsater (1993).
External links
- http://verdantgreenla.org/related_species/epidendrum_species_pages/epidendrum_calanthum.html
- http://www.orchidspecies.com/epicalanthum.htm
- http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/v/Cattleya+Alliance/Epidendrum/aae.jpg.html
- http://www.abundaflora.com/epidendrum_calanthum.htm
- http://maqui.ucdavis.edu/Images/Orchids/epidendrum_calanthum.html