Epidendrum antillanum Ackerman & Hágsater

  • 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

    Epidendrum antillanum Ackerman & Hágsater

  • Description

    Species Description - Plants caespitose epiphytes. Roots numerous from the rhizome or occasionally along stems of larger plants, 0.5-1 mm diam. Stems few, occasionally branched, slender, somewhat zigzag, to 2 mm diam., terete, covered by persistent leaf sheaths, main stems 10-40 cm long, branches to 13 cm long. Leaves distichous, sheaths tubular, to 2.2 cm long; blades deciduous, subcoriaceous, linear-lanceolate, obtuse, 2.1-6.5 cm long, 5-11 mm wide. Inflorescences terminal, on main axes or short branches, subsessile, 4-5 mm long, 1- to 2(-3)-flowered; floral bracts conduplicate, 8-11 mm long. Flowers pale green to yellow-green, sometimes with a whitish lip. Pedicellate ovary 8-11 mm long, the upper half slightly inflated ventrally; ovarium nectar tube containing nectar, extending nearly the length of the ovary. Sepals free, rigid, erect, with dorsally keeled apices, subaristate; dorsal sepal oblongelliptic, rounded, 9-nerved with minor veins in between, 8-9 mm long, 2.5-3 mm wide; lateral sepals oblong-elliptic, obtuse to rounded, concave, slightly falcate, 8-9 mm long, 3-3.5 mm wide. Petals linear, 5-nerved, 8-9 mm long, ca. 1 mm wide. Lip adnate to entire length of the column; lamina simple, concave, broadly triangular-ovate, obtuse to rounded, subcoriaceous, 5-6 mm long, 3-4 mm wide when spread; base of lamina with paired callus ridges apically diminishing and converging but not meeting, ca. 1 mm long from basal sinuses of lip, median vein slightly raised and thickened just below the apices of the callus ridges. Column stout, 4.5-5 mm long, clinandrium obsolete with an entire margin; pollinia 4, semiobovoid, laterally compressed, subequal. Fruit ovoid-cylindrical, ca. 18 m long, 7-9 mm diam., beakless.

  • Discussion

    14. Epidendrum antillanum Ackerman & Hagsater, Orquidea 12: 226. 1992. Epidendrum ramosum Jacquin var. lanceolatum Grisebach, Fl. Brit. W . 15: 618. 1864. Type. Imray 179, from Dominica (K-L photograph seen); collections of W . Fishlock and H. H. & G. W. Smith are mounted on the same sheet; an additional collection on a separate sheet at K is labeled as Imray 179, but it clearly corresponds to E. ramosum and is mounted with a collection of G. A. Ramage from St. Lucia. Phenology & Pollination. Blooming occurs from August to March. Flowers contain nectar in the ovarian nectar tube. Pollinators are unknown, but fruit production is common. Taxonomic Notes. There is some confusion over the identity of this species. Garay and Sweet (1974) and Sauleda et al. (1988) used the name Epidendrum pseudoramosum Schlechter, but our plants have a different lip callus than that illustrated by either Schlechter (Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 59: t. 55, fig. 220. 1931), Foldats (1970: fig. 508), or Dunsterville and Garay (1979: 266). Furthermore, the keeled apices of the lateral sepals in our plants do not appear in the above-mentioned illustrations. Ackerman and Hagsater (1992) suggested that E. antillanum is part of a species complex near to that of E. ramosum but involving E. modestiflorum Schlechter, E. flexicaule Schlechter, E. veraguasense Hagsater and E. urichianum Carnevali, Foldats, and I. Ramirez. Dressier (1959) thought that E. ramosum var. lanceolatum represented a pendent Cuban species and renamed it E. acunae (lanceolatum was already occupied in the genus). Fortunately, Dressier did not choose Grisebach's type of E. ramosum var. lanceolatum for the type of E. acunae because the species to which he was referring was quite distinct from Grisebach's variety. Thus, a new name was still required for£. ramosum var. lanceolatum, and Ackerman and Hagsater (1992) proposed E. antillanum. A key to E. antillanum and related species from Central and South America has been published by Hagsater (1992).

  • Distribution

    Dominica, Guadeloupe, Hispaniola, Martinique, Puerto Rico, and St. Vincent. Distribution in Puerto Rico. Known from Adjuntas, Barranquitas, Caguas, Cayey, Las Piedras, Naguabo, and Rio Grande. Habitat. Epiphytic in wet montane forests at middle to high elevations (750-1100 m); uncommon.

    Dominica South America| Guadeloupe South America| Dominican Republic South America| Haiti South America| Martinique South America| Puerto Rico South America| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines South America| Virgin Islands South America|