Epidendrum nocturnum Jacq.
-
Authority
Ackerman, James D. 1995. An orchid flora of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 73: 1-203.
-
Family
Orchidaceae
-
Scientific Name
-
Description
Species Description - Plants glabrous, caespitose, erect epiphytes or lithophytes. Roots numerous, produced from the short rhizome, 1.5-3 mm diam. Stems canelike, unbranched, to 25 cm long, covered by leaf sheaths. Leaves several to numerous, distichous; blades coriaceous, lanceolate to oblong or oblong-elliptic, acute, to 16 cm long, 3.7 cm wide, usually shorter. Inflorescences terminal, subsessile, usually branched, few-flowered. Flowers large, produced in succession. Pedicellate ovary slender, 4-5 cm long. Sepals and petals spreading, pale green, entire. Sepals linear-lanceolate, acuminate, 32-45 mm long, 3-5 mm wide. Petals linear-filiform, 31-44 mm long, 1.5-2 mm wide. Lip adnate to the full length of the column; lamina white, trilobed, 26-32 mm long, basal callus bilobed and flanking the entrance to the floral tube; lateral lobes subquadratedolabriform, 13-22 mm long; middle lobe linear, 17-20 mm long. Column ca. 1.5 cm long; anther 1, occasionally with 1 or 2 abnormal lateral anthers; pollinia 4 in the normal anther, yellow. Fruit pedicel 0.5-4.6 cm long; capsule ellipsoidal, 2.8-5 cm long; beak prominent, 1.5-4 cm long. Chromosomes: n = 20, 2n = 40, 80, 74-85.
-
Discussion
7. Epidendrum nocturnum Jacquin, Enum. Syst. PL 29. 1760. Amphiglottis nocturna (Jacquin) Britton in Britton & Wilson, Bot. Porto Rico 5(2): 200. 1924. Type. Jacquin s.n., from Martinique (original illustration not seen; reproduction: Jacquin, Select. Stirp. Amer. Hist. t. 139. 1763). Fig. 32. Phenology & Pollination. Flowers appear most times of the year, except perhaps the summer. They are often autogamous. Normal flowers are probably pollinated by moths, but some plants produce self-pollinating flowers that bear 2 or 3 anthers instead of 1. At least some Central American plants are also autogamous (Stort & Pavanelli, 1986). Taxonomic Notes. At middle to high elevations, Epidendrum nocturnum is sympatric with two closely related species, E. carpophorum and E. tridens. Although the three have very similar flowers, they differ by their pedicellate ovaries and vegetative characteristics (see key). At sites where they grow together, no intermediates occur. Epidendrum nocturnum is quite variable over its entire range, and like E. difforme, may prove to contain numerous valid species.
-
Distribution
General Distribution. Central America, Florida (U.S.A.), Mexico, tropical South America, and West Indies.
Central America| United States of America North America| Mexico North America| South America| West Indies| Puerto Rico South America|