Epidendrum ruizianum
Encyclopedia
Epidendrum ruizianum is an epiphytic
reed-stemmed Epidendrum
of the orchid family
native to the cloud forests of Bolivia
(including Cochabamba
and La Paz
), Colombia
, Ecuador
, Peru
, and Venezuela
, at altitudes of 2-3 km.
Lindl., and as such is a sympodial
plant with cylindrical, unswollen stems covered with close, imbricating sheathes which bear leaves on the upper part of the stem, and with the apical inflorescence erupting from an enlarged spathe. The stems grow to 90 cm tall. The keeled, leathery leaves grow to 16 cm long and 4 cm wide. The paniculate
inflorescence
grows as long as 50 cm, with the alternate, dense racemes emerging from falcate spathes 5 cm long. The yellow-green flowers have reflexed rigid striate acute sepals and reflexed filiform petals 10 mm long. The trilobate lip
is adnate to the column to its apex, and is heart shaped and convex where it diverges from the column. The lateral lobes of the lip are fringed, and the medial lobe divides in two at its apex.
& Pav. (1798) is an illegitimate name because it is a homonym of E. nutans Sw. (1788)
, which is the accepted name of a different species.
Epiphyte
An epiphyte is a plant that grows upon another plant non-parasitically or sometimes upon some other object , derives its moisture and nutrients from the air and rain and sometimes from debris accumulating around it, and is found in the temperate zone and in the...
reed-stemmed Epidendrum
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...
of the orchid family
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,...
native to the cloud forests 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...
and La Paz
La Paz Department (Bolivia)
The La Paz Department of Bolivia comprises with a 2001 census population of 2,350,466 inhabitants. It is situated at the western border of Bolivia, sharing Lake Titicaca with Peru. It contains the mighty Cordillera Real that reaches altitudes of . Northeast of the Cordillera Real are the Yungas,...
), 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....
, and 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...
, at altitudes of 2-3 km.
Description
Epidendrum ruizianum belongs to the subgenus E. subg. SpathiumEpidendrum subg. Spathium
John Lindley published Epidendrum subg. Spathium of the Orchidaceae. According to Lindley's diagnosis,, the E. subg. Spathium is recognizable by is sympodial habit with individual stems being slender and covered by the bases of the distichous leaves, by the lip of the flower being...
Lindl., and as such is 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:...
plant with cylindrical, unswollen stems covered with close, imbricating sheathes which bear leaves on the upper part of the stem, and with the apical inflorescence erupting from an enlarged spathe. The stems grow to 90 cm tall. The keeled, leathery leaves grow to 16 cm long and 4 cm wide. The paniculate
Panicle
A panicle is a compound raceme, a loose, much-branched indeterminate inflorescence with pedicellate flowers attached along the secondary branches; in other words, a branched cluster of flowers in which the branches are racemes....
inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
grows as long as 50 cm, with the alternate, dense racemes emerging from falcate spathes 5 cm long. The yellow-green flowers have reflexed rigid striate acute sepals and reflexed filiform petals 10 mm long. The trilobate 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 to its apex, and is heart shaped and convex where it diverges from the column. The lateral lobes of the lip are fringed, and the medial lobe divides in two at its apex.
Synonymy and homonymy
The synonym E. nutans RuizRuiz
Ruiz is a Hispanic surname meaning "son of Ruy". It refers to:*Persons**Adolfo Ruiz Cortines , President of Mexico 1952-1958.**Alejandro R. Ruiz, U.S...
& Pav. (1798) is an illegitimate name because it is a homonym of E. nutans Sw. (1788)
Epidendrum nutans
The Nodding Epidendrum is a species of orchid in the genus Epidendrum....
, which is the accepted name of a different species.