''Epidendrum fulgens'' is a crucifix orchid native to

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

. 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. Like all crucifix orchids, the lip is adnate to the column and bears three lobes, producing the effect of a cross. Like E. cinnabarinum, E. denticulatum, and E. puniceoluteum (also Brazilian members of subsection carinata), E. fulgens grows in the litoral restinga habitat. The specific epithet, ''fulgens'', is the present participle of the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

verb ''fulgere'' "to shine, to glow" and refers to the brilliant yellow-orange flowers with red spots on the yellow lip.

Distinguishing characteristics

''E. fulgens'' has a noticeably wider angle (nearly 180°) between the lateral sepals than most of the crucifix orchids, as well as a noticeably narrower angle (little more than 90°) between the petals. The yellow lip bears striking red spots in two lines near the callus. The roots are produced mostly near the bottom of the stem. ''E. fulgens'' is easily distinguished from '' E. radicans'' and '' E. ibaguense'' by its non-resupinate flowers. Perhaps the most noticeable difference between ''E. fulgens'' and '' E. secundum'' is the callus: ''E. fulgens'' has a small keel in front of the column, flanked by two calli, whereas '' E. secundum'' has a single, much larger callus in front of the column. Additionally, ''E. fulgens'' is not found in the mountainous habitat where '' E. secundum'' usually grows. ''E. fulgens'' differs from '' E. puniceoluteum'' and '' E. cinnabarinum'' by having slightly smaller yellow-orange flowers with a yellow lip, instead of bright red. The chromosome number of ''E. fulgens'' has been determined by two separate investigators as 2''n'' = 24Table 4 of Pinheiro F, Koehler S, Correˆa AM et al. "Phylogenetic relationships and infrageneric classification of Epidendrum subgenus Amphiglottium (Laeliinae, Orchidaceae)". ''PlantSystematics and Evolution'', 283(2009)165–177. This number differs from ''E. puniceoluteum'' (with 52), ''E. secundum'' (with 28—80), ''E. cinnabarinum'' (with 240), ''E. radicans'' (with 40—64), and ''E. ibaguense'' (with 70).

Occurrence

''E. fulgens'' grows in the restinga vegetation near the Atlantic shore from

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a ...

in the north to Rio Grande do Sul in the south, at a typical elevation of 10 m.

References

* Pansarin, E. R., and Amaral, M. C. E.: "Reproductive biology and pollination mechanisms of ''Epidendrum secundum'' (Orchidaceae). Floral variation: a consequence of natural hybridization?" ''Plant Biology'' 10 (2008) 211-219. * Pinheiro, F., and Barros, F.: "''Epidendrum puniceoluteum'', uma nova especie de Orchidaceae do litoral brasileiro" ''Hoehnea'' 33(2):247-250, 2007.

External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3055749 fulgens Orchids of Brazil Taxa named by Adolphe-Théodore Brongniart