Epidendrum secundum
Encyclopedia
Epidendrum secundum, one of the crucifix orchids, is a poorly understood reed stemmed species, which Dressler (1989) describes as "the Epidendrum secundum complex." According to Dressler, there are dozens of varieties, some of which appear to deserve species rank. Arditti and Ghani note that E. secundum has the distinction of bearing the longest seeds known in the Orchidaceae, 6.0 mm long. By comparison, the seeds of E. ibaguense (another crucifix orchid) are only 2.9 mm long.
Like the other members of E. subg. Amphiglottium
, E. secundum is a sympodial plant which has thin stems covered from the base with imbricating sheathes which are leaf bearing above, a terminal inflorescence covered at its base with thin imbricating sheates, and flowers with the lip
adnate
to the column
to its apex. The flowers are non-resupinate (unlike E. ibaguense
and E. radicans
), can come in shades of lilac, red, orange, or yellow, and feature a notable callus on the fringed trilobate lip. The plant is rather cool-growing and can tolerate a light frost.
presented a treatment of the genus Epidendrum, including his view of the sub-section Tuberculata. Correlating his list of (in Reichenbach's view) separate species with the Kew Monocot Checklist (July 16, 2009) yielded the following list of taxa "which appear to deserve species rank" that Kew checklist reviewers consider to be synonyms for E. secundum (the page numbers refer to Reichenbach 1861):
The diversity of E. secundum is further demonstrated by counts of the chromosome number (in root tissues): a lilac-flowered individual from Bolivia
was found to have 2n = 28; a lilac-flowered individual from Santo Antônio do Itambé
, Brazil
, 2n = 52; an orange-flowered individual from Santo Antônio do Itambé
, Brazil
, 2n = 48; a lilac-flowered individual from Serra do Rio do Rastro
, Brazil
, 2n = 40; a lilac-flowered individual from Venezuela
, 2n = 80; all in disagreement with a previously reported value of 2n = 68.
The Kew Monocot checklist lists many more binomials as synonyms of E. secundum:
Although the Linnaean binomial "Epidendrum secundum" is well established by Jacquin's publication in his Enumeratio (1760) and Selectarum (1763), the seeming inappropriateness of his word choice has long been noted, not only by Dressler (1975) but also by Cogniaux in Flora brasiliensis, with the listing "Epidendrum secundum (sed floribus non secundis) Jacq."
Unlike the illustration in Selectarum, the inflorescence of this taxon is not secund
, that is, the flowers are not all on one side of the inflorescence, are not all in one plane, nor is the plant in any way "lop sided." Rather the flowers surround the central stem of the inflorescence in a cylindrical manner, producing a highly congested raceme. Despite the generic epithet (literally "upon a tree"), E. secundum frequently grows terrestrially. Due to this literal inappropriateness of the name and the origin of this plant in a country where English is not the common language, any "common names" constructed by literally translating the Linnaean binomial into English are completely inappropriate: not only are such names not common, they are completely misleading. Such names include "lop sided star orchid," and "flowers all in one plane Epidendrum," among others. Nevertheless, the insistence of some database constructors that each taxon must have a common name causes such phrases to proliferate.
and natural hybrids between the two.
Like the other members of E. subg. Amphiglottium
Epidendrum 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...
, E. secundum is a sympodial plant which has thin stems covered from the base with imbricating sheathes which are leaf bearing above, a terminal inflorescence covered at its base with thin imbricating sheates, and flowers with the 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:...
adnate
Adnation
Adnation in plants is the "union of unlike parts; organically united or fused with another dissimilar part, e.g. an ovary to a calyx tube, or stamens to petals". This is in contrast to connation, the fusion of similar organs....
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. The flowers are non-resupinate (unlike E. ibaguense
Epidendrum ibaguense
Epidendrum ibaguense is a species of epiphytic orchid of the genus Epidendrum which occurs in Trinidad, French Guyana, Venezuela, Colombia and Northern Brazil.There is a good article on this species in the Português Wikipedia...
and E. radicans
Epidendrum radicans
This ground-rooting orchid is a common roadside weed at middle elevations in Central America. A crucifix orchid, it is often confused with many other members of the section Schistochila, including E. calanthe, E. cinnabarinum, E. denticulatum, E. erectum, E. fulgens,...
), can come in shades of lilac, red, orange, or yellow, and feature a notable callus on the fringed trilobate lip. The plant is rather cool-growing and can tolerate a light frost.
Diversity within the complex
In 1861, H. R. ReichenbachHeinrich Gustav Reichenbach
Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach was an ornithologist, botanist and the foremost German orchidologist of the 19th century...
presented a treatment of the genus Epidendrum, including his view of the sub-section Tuberculata. Correlating his list of (in Reichenbach's view) separate species with the Kew Monocot Checklist (July 16, 2009) yielded the following list of taxa "which appear to deserve species rank" that Kew checklist reviewers consider to be synonyms for E. secundum (the page numbers refer to Reichenbach 1861):
- E. ansiferum Rchb.f.Heinrich Gustav ReichenbachHeinrich Gustav Reichenbach was an ornithologist, botanist and the foremost German orchidologist of the 19th century...
& Warsz.Jozef WarszewiczJózef Warszewicz Ritter von Rawicz was a Polish botanist, plant and animal collector, and gardener.- Life :...
, Bonplandia (Hannover) 2: 111 (1854). (pp 394-395) - E. brachyphyllum Lindl.John LindleyJohn Lindley FRS was an English botanist, gardener and orchidologist.-Early years:Born in Catton, near Norwich, England, John Lindley was one of four children of George and Mary Lindley. George Lindley was a nurseryman and pomologist and ran a commercial nursery garden...
, Fol. Orchid. 3:72(1853) (p. 392) - E. fimbria Rchb.f.Heinrich Gustav ReichenbachHeinrich Gustav Reichenbach was an ornithologist, botanist and the foremost German orchidologist of the 19th century...
, Bonplandia (Hannover) 2: 282 (1854). (p. 394) - E. gracilicaule Rchb.f.Heinrich Gustav ReichenbachHeinrich Gustav Reichenbach was an ornithologist, botanist and the foremost German orchidologist of the 19th century...
& Warsz.Jozef WarszewiczJózef Warszewicz Ritter von Rawicz was a Polish botanist, plant and animal collector, and gardener.- Life :...
, Bonplandia (Hannover) 2: 111 (1854) (p. 392) - E. incisum Rchb.f.Heinrich Gustav ReichenbachHeinrich Gustav Reichenbach was an ornithologist, botanist and the foremost German orchidologist of the 19th century...
& Warsz.Jozef WarszewiczJózef Warszewicz Ritter von Rawicz was a Polish botanist, plant and animal collector, and gardener.- Life :...
, Bonplandia (Hannover) 2: 112 (1854), nom. illeg. (p.394) - E. lacerum Lindl.John LindleyJohn Lindley FRS was an English botanist, gardener and orchidologist.-Early years:Born in Catton, near Norwich, England, John Lindley was one of four children of George and Mary Lindley. George Lindley was a nurseryman and pomologist and ran a commercial nursery garden...
, Edwards's Bot. Reg. 24(Misc.): 17 (1838). (pp. 395-396) - E. lindenii Lindl.John LindleyJohn Lindley FRS was an English botanist, gardener and orchidologist.-Early years:Born in Catton, near Norwich, England, John Lindley was one of four children of George and Mary Lindley. George Lindley was a nurseryman and pomologist and ran a commercial nursery garden...
, Edwards's Bot. Reg. 31(Misc.): 48 (1845), nom. illeg (p. 393) - E. novogranatense Rchb.f.Heinrich Gustav ReichenbachHeinrich Gustav Reichenbach was an ornithologist, botanist and the foremost German orchidologist of the 19th century...
& Warsz.Jozef WarszewiczJózef Warszewicz Ritter von Rawicz was a Polish botanist, plant and animal collector, and gardener.- Life :...
, Bonplandia (Hannover) 2: 111 (1854). (p. 396)
The diversity of E. secundum is further demonstrated by counts of the chromosome number (in root tissues): a lilac-flowered individual from 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...
was found to have 2n = 28; a lilac-flowered individual from Santo Antônio do Itambé
Santo Antônio do Itambé
Santo Antônio do Itambé is a town in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Its coordinates are 18.46625/18°27'57" S and the longitude is 43.315/43°18'25" W. It has 4,692 inhabitants and the area is 303.857 km²...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, 2n = 52; an orange-flowered individual from Santo Antônio do Itambé
Santo Antônio do Itambé
Santo Antônio do Itambé is a town in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Its coordinates are 18.46625/18°27'57" S and the longitude is 43.315/43°18'25" W. It has 4,692 inhabitants and the area is 303.857 km²...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, 2n = 48; a lilac-flowered individual from Serra do Rio do Rastro
Serra do Rio do Rastro
Serra do Rio do Rastro is a mountain range located in the southeast of the state of Santa Catarina, Southern Brazil. It is crossed by the road SC-438, with remarkable landscapes and deep crags....
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, 2n = 40; a lilac-flowered individual from 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...
, 2n = 80; all in disagreement with a previously reported value of 2n = 68.
The Kew Monocot checklist lists many more binomials as synonyms of E. secundum:
- E. antioquiense Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 7: 125 (1920)
- E. bulkeleyi A.D.Hawkes, Orquídea (Rio de Janeiro) 18: 168 (1957)
- E. coroicoense Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 27: 60 (1929)
- E. corymbosum Ruiz & Pav., Syst. Veg. Fl. Peruv. Chil.: 246 (1798)
- E. corymbosum var. latifolium Cogn. in C.F.P.von Martius & auct. suc. (eds.), Fl. Bras. 3(5): 145 (1898)
- E. crassifolium var. albescens Pabst, Bradea 2: 64 (1976)
- E. cuzcoense Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 9: 82 (1921)
- E. dolichopus Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 7: 131 (1920)
- E. elongatum Jacq., Collectanea 3: 260 (1789)
- E. fastigiatum Lindl., Fol. Orchid. 3: 71 (1853)
- E. giroudianum Rchb.f., Bonplandia (Hannover) 4: 327 (1856)
- E. herzogii Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 12: 489 (1913)
- E. inconstans Ames ex Gleason, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 58: 350 (1931)
- E. lacera (Lindl.) Britton, Sci. Surv. Porto Rico & Virgin Islands 5: 201 (1924)
- E. longihastatum Barb.Rodr., Gen. Spec. Orchid. 1: 59 (1877)
- E. pachyphyllum Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 7: 140 (1920)
- E. polyschistum Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 7: 143 (1920)
- E. secundum var. albescens (Pabst) F.Barros, Acta Bot. Brasil. 10: 142 (1996)
- E. secundum f. albescens (Pabst) F.Barros, Hoehnea 29: 111 (2002)
- E. sulfuratorium E.H.L.Krause, Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 36(2): 336 (1914)
- E. tarmense Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 9: 94 (1921)
- E. tricallosum Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 6: 39 (1919)
- E. versicolor Hoehne & Schltr., Arch. Bot. São Paulo 1: 245 (1926)
Names
Unlike the illustration in Selectarum, the inflorescence of this taxon is not secund
Secund
Secund can refer to:*a botanical term used of plants when similar parts are directed to one side only, as flowers on an axis. *to loan an employee from one organization to another...
, that is, the flowers are not all on one side of the inflorescence, are not all in one plane, nor is the plant in any way "lop sided." Rather the flowers surround the central stem of the inflorescence in a cylindrical manner, producing a highly congested raceme. Despite the generic epithet (literally "upon a tree"), E. secundum frequently grows terrestrially. Due to this literal inappropriateness of the name and the origin of this plant in a country where English is not the common language, any "common names" constructed by literally translating the Linnaean binomial into English are completely inappropriate: not only are such names not common, they are completely misleading. Such names include "lop sided star orchid," and "flowers all in one plane Epidendrum," among others. Nevertheless, the insistence of some database constructors that each taxon must have a common name causes such phrases to proliferate.
Occurrence
Epidendrum secundum occurs in the montane forest of the Neotropics (up to 2 miles high), including Cusco, southeastern Peru and Brazil. It has also been found in disturbed roadside habitats in Picingauba, Brazil, near sea level, together with E. fulgensEpidendrum fulgens
Epidendrum fulgens is a crucifix orchid native to Brazil. Like E. secundum, with which it has been found to hybridize in habitats disturbed by human activity, E. fulgens flowers are non-resupinate and are born in a congested racime at the end of a long spike...
and natural hybrids between the two.