Epidendrum, abbreviated Epi in horticultural trade, is a large neotropical genus of the orchid family, commonly known as Epidendrum. (Some authorities, feeling the need for English-language common names, try to concoct trivial names for each taxon, leading to such names as the star orchid or crucifix orchid, which nevertheless are not commonly applied to the genus Epidendrum as a whole.) With more than 1,100 species, some authors describe it as a mega-genus. The genus name (from Greek, "upon trees") refers to its epiphytic growth habit. When Carolus Linnaeus named this genus in 1763, he included in this genus all the epiphytic orchids known to him. Although few of these orchids are still included in the genus Epidendrum, some species of Epidendrum are nevertheless not epiphytic.
Distribution and ecology
They are native to the tropics and subtropical regions of the American continent, from South Carolina to Argentina. Their habitat is mostly epiphytic, a few are terrestrial (such as E. fulgens) or rarely lithophytic (growing on bare rock, such as E. calanthm and E. saxatile). Most are to be found in the Andes, at altitudes between 1,000 and 3,000 m. Their habitat varies from humid jungles to dry tropical forests, from sunny grassy slopes to cool cloud forests.
Characteristics
They are quite varied in flower size and appearance. They grow in tufts, in racemose inflorescences, sometimes in corymbs or panicles. The apical, lateral or basal flowers are mostly small to medium in size and frequently are not marked by a conspicuous display. The inflorescences are frequently dense. Many species are fragrant. The flowers may be produced only once, or during several years from the same or new inflorescences. The ellipsoid fruits are 3-ribbed capsules.
This genus has the following characteristics :
- a slit rostellum (small extension or little beak to the median stigma lobe), producing a transparent or white thick and adhesive liquid.
- the sometimes fringed lip is adnate to ( = united with) the column (forming a nectary tube (but rarely producing nectar), continuing through the pedicel). (The genus Prosthecia was split off because the lip is not completely adnate to the column.)
- the pollinarium contains 4 pollinia (with sometimes 2 very reduced pollinia), rarely only 2 pollinia.
- the erect, pendent, or creeping stems are reed-like, simple or branching, or may be pseudobulbs or thickened stems.
Epidendrum sp. in the wild.
The following genera have been brought into synonymy with Epidendrum: Amphiglottis Salisb., Anacheilium Hoffmanns., Anocheile Hoffmanns. ex Rchb., Auliza Small, Coilostylis Raf., Didothion Raf.,, Diothonea Lindl., Dothilophis Raf., Doxosma Raf., Epicladium Small, Epidanthus L.O.Williams, Epidendropsis Garay & Dunst., Exophya Raf., Hemiscleria Lindl., Kalopternix Garay & Dunst., Lanium (Lindl.) Benth., Larnandra Raf., Microepidendrum Brieger (nom. inval.), Minicolumna Brieger (nom. inval.), Nanodes Lindl., Neolehmannia Kraenzl., Neowilliamsia Garay, Nyctosma Raf., Phadrosanthus Neck. ex Raf., Physinga Lindl., Pleuranthium Benth., Pseudepidendrum Rchb.f., Seraphyta Fisch. & C.A.Mey., Spathiger Small, Stenoglossum Kunth, Tritelandra Raf..
Species
This huge genus contains more than 2,000 names (about 1,100 accepted names and the rest have become synonyms of other species). More than 1,000 have been split off into new or resurrected genera such as Barkeria, Dimerandra, Coilostylis, Encyclia, Nanodes, Oerstedella, Prosthecia, and Psichylus. However, it is estimated that there are more than 2,000 Epidendrum orchids, many of which still have to be discovered. More than 400 new species have lately been described by Eric Hágsater and colleagues (see: Reference).
These botanists have been honored, along with several other Epidendrum researchers, with an Epidendrum orchid named after them:
- E. carnevalii Hágsater & L.Sánchez, (1999). (named after Carnevali)
- E. foldatsii Hágsater & Carnevali, (1993). (name after Foldats)
- E. garayi Løjtnant, (1977). (named after Garay)
- E. garciae Pabst, (1976). (named after Garcia-Cruz)
- E. hagsateri Christenson, (1995). (named after Hágsater)
- E. lueri Dodson & Hágsater, (1989). (was named after Dr. Luer of the Missouri Botanical Gardens, author of the series of monographs about the Pleurothallidinae orchids, the Icones Pleurothallidinarum)
- E. schlechterianum Ames, (1924). (named after Rudolph Schlechter)
- E. schweinfurthianum Correll, (1947). (named after Schweinfurth)
Hybrids
Only a few natural hybrids have been named, such as Epidendrum × doroteae, Epidendrum × gransabanense and Epidendrum × purpureum. Epidendrum hybridizes readily with Cattleya (Epicattleya) and other related genera. It is not uncommon for one to come across multi-generic hybrids, for example, Adamara (often called Yamadara) (Brassavola × Cattleya × Epidendrum × Laelia).
Culture
Although the flowers of many Epidendrum species are rather small and not very showy, many are nevertheless widely cultivated, such as E. cinnabarinum, E. ibaguense, E. nocturnum, E. radicans, E. secundum, and a multitude of hybrids of these species.
Most Epidendrum species require intermediate to warm conditions for culture, although a few of the commonly cultivated species, such as E. radicans grow in cool conditions. Some, such as Epidendrum magnoliae syn. conopseum can even tolerate extended freezing conditions. In Auckland and other sub-tropical regions of New Zealand, the cool growing plants will flower all year round. While they are normally grown in pots, it is also possible to grow them in a bark garden or on a tree.
References
- Hagsater, E., Sanchez Saldana, L., and Garcia Cruz, J. (eds.) 1999. Icones Orchidacearum: fascicle 3. The genus Epidendrum: part 2. "A second century of new species in Epidendrum". Herbario AMO, Mexico D.F.
- Hagsater, E. 2001. Icones Orchidacearum: Fascicle 4. The Genus Epidendrum. Part 3, "A Third Century of New Species in Epidendrum". Asociacion Mexicana de Orquideologia A.C., Mexico, D.F.
- Hágsater, E. 2004. The genus Epidendrum. Part 4. A fourth century of new species in Epidendrum. Icon. Orchid. 7: pl. 701-800.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
E. secundum in the montane forest of Cusco, southeastern Peru.
|
External links
|
