''Dracula vampira'' is an
epiphytic
An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phoroph ...
orchid species,
endemic to
Ecuador.
Description
The orchid has large distinctive flowers; the
sepals are rounded with the top corner pulled into a thin tail, which may extend up to 11 cm in length. Although green in colour, the sepals are covered by numerous blackish purple veins and the tails are almost completely black. The large sepals dwarf the petals and lip of the flower, which are white in colour and marked with purple and pinkish veins respectively. ''Dracula vampira'' is a large
epiphyte
An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phoroph ...
, meaning that it does not grow in soil, it has many stems; the erect leaves are between 15 and 28 cm long.
[Luer, C.A. (1993) ''Systematics of Dracula''. Missouri Botanical Gardens.] The generic name of this species - ''Dracula'' means ''little dragon'', refers to the flower resembling a hooded vampire.
[Hermans, J. & Hermans, C. (1997) ''An Annotated Checklist of the Genus Dracula''. Orchid Digest Corporation.]
Distribution
''Dracula vampira'' is
endemic to
Ecuador in South America being found only on the slopes of
Mount Pichincha
Pichincha is a stratovolcano in Ecuador. The capital Quito wraps around its eastern slopes.
The two highest peaks of the mountain are Wawa Pichincha ( Kichwa ''wawa'' child, baby / small, Spanish spelling ''Guagua Pichincha'') () and Ruku Pichinc ...
.
[ It is found between 1900 and 2200 metres above sea level,][Jenny, R. (1997) Dracula vampira. Caesiana,8: center page.] where it is fairly locally abundant.[
]
Ecology
As an epiphyte
An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phoroph ...
''D. vampira'' does not grow in soil, instead it grows on the lower sections of trees on the forested mountainside; many plants may accumulate on damp, leaf litter.[
]
Conservation
''Dracula vampira'' was classified as Vulnerable on the 1997 IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants,[Walter, K.S. & Gillett, H.J. ds(1998) ''1997 IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants''. Compiled by the ]World Conservation Monitoring Center
The UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) is a collaboration centre of UN Environment Programme, based in Cambridge in the United Kingdom. UNEP-WCMC has been part of UN Environment Programme since 2000, and has r ...
. IUCN - The World Conservation Union, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK (although this status no longer applies[For explanation, see ]) and listed on Appendix II of CITES, together with almost all orchids.[
]
References
External links
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{{Taxonbar, from=Q5304734
vampira
Endemic orchids of Ecuador
Plants described in 1978