''Restrepia'', abbreviated Rstp in horticultural trade, is a small
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
of 50
orchid
Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant.
Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering ...
s in the orchid family (
Orchidaceae
Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant.
Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering ...
), closely related to ''
Pleurothallis
''Pleurothallis'' is a genus of orchids commonly called bonnet orchids. The genus name is derived from the Greek word , meaning "riblike branches". This refers to the rib-like stems of many species. The genus is often abbreviated as "Pths" in hor ...
''. Named in honor of Don
Jose Restrepo, it tends to be more showy than most other
Pleurothallids. They are found primarily at higher altitudes in the cool, damp montane forests of the
Andes
The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...
and
Venezuela
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
, with some into
Central America
Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...
up to southern
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
.
[Pridgeon, A.M., Cribb, P.J., Chase, M.C. & Rasmussen, F.N. (2006). Epidendroideae (Part One). Genera Orchidacearum 4: 1-672. Oxford University Press, New York, Oxford.]
Description
These tiny
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 ...
and rarely
lithophytic
Lithophytes are plants that grow in or on rocks. They can be classified as either epilithic (or epipetric) or endolithic; epilithic lithophytes grow on the surfaces of rocks, while endolithic lithophytes grow in the crevices of rocks (and are als ...
orchids lack
pseudobulb
The pseudobulb is a storage organ found in many epiphytic and terrestrial sympodial orchids. It is derived from a thickening of the part of a stem between leaf nodes and may be composed of just one internode or several, termed heteroblastic and ...
s. The erect, thick, leathery leaf is elliptic-ovate in shape. The aerial
root
In vascular plants, the roots are the organs of a plant that are modified to provide anchorage for the plant and take in water and nutrients into the plant body, which allows plants to grow taller and faster. They are most often below the sur ...
s seem like fine hairs.
[Luer, C.A. (1996). Icones Pleurothallidinarum XIII - Systematics of Restrepia. Missouri Botanical Garden, Missouri; 168 p, 16 color plates, 63 line drawings; ]
The flowers develop one at a time at the base of the leaf. They are borne on a slender peduncle, originating from the base of the back of the leaf. The long dorsal
sepal
A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coined b ...
is erect and ends in a somewhat thicker club-shaped tip. They have fused lateral sepals (
synsepals) which may be quite colorful : white, yellow, rose, purple, orange or tan with red, brown or purple overlaid frequently with contrasting reddish-purple spots or stripes. The long, lateral
petal
Petals are modified Leaf, leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often advertising coloration, brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''c ...
s equally end in a thickened club-shaped tip. The long
lip
The lips are the visible body part at the mouth of many animals, including humans. Lips are soft, movable, and serve as the opening for food intake and in the articulation of sound and speech. Human lips are a tactile sensory organ, and can be ...
is ovoid and widest its apex. It shows the same variations in color and markings.
They are generally of tufted habit and white sheathed stems with fine papery
bract
In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of ...
s. Under the right conditions, they can be in flower all year long. They propagate by spreading and forming new plantlets, called keikis, from the base of mature leaves.
Several species, such as ''
Restrepia muscifera'', are very variable in size, shape and color. No two populations are the same.
Species
Three subgenera are recognized.
*''
Restrepia aberrans'' (Panama).
*''
Restrepia antennifera'' : Antennae-carrying restrepia (W. South America to NW. Venezuela).
*''
Restrepia aristulifera'' (Venezuela).
*''
Restrepia aspasicensium'' (Colombia to NW. Venezuela).
*''
Restrepia brachypus'' : Short-column foot restrepia (W. South America to Venezuela).
*''
Restrepia chameleon'' : Color-changing restrepia (Colombia).
*''
Restrepia chocoensis'' : Chocó restrepia (Colombia).
*''
Restrepia chrysoglossa'' (Colombia).
*''
Restrepia citrina'' : Lemon-yellow restrepia (Colombia).
*''
Restrepia cloesii'' (Peru).
*''
Restrepia condorensis'' : Condor-like restrepia (SE. Ecuador).
*''
Restrepia contorta'' : Twisted restrepia (W. South America).
*''
Restrepia cuprea'' : Copper-colored restrepia (Colombia).
*''
Restrepia cymbula'' (Ecuador).
*''
Restrepia dodsonii'' : Dodson's restrepia (Ecuador).
*''
Restrepia echinata'' (E. Colombia to Peru).
*''
Restrepia echo'' (Colombia).
*''
Restrepia elegans
''Restrepia elegans'', commonly called the elegant restrepia, is a species of orchid occurring from Colombia to northwestern Venezuela
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana d ...
'' : Elegant restrepia (Colombia to NW. Venezuela).
*''
Restrepia ephippium'' (Ecuador).
*''
Restrepia escobariana'' (Colombia).
*''
Restrepia falkenbergii'' : Falkenberg's restrepia (Colombia).
*''
Restrepia flosculata'' : Small-flowered restrepia (Colombia to NW. Ecuador).
*''
Restrepia guttulata'' : Small-spotted restrepia (Venezuela to Ecuador).
*''
Restrepia howei'' :
*''
Restrepia iris'' : Rainbow restrepia (SE. Ecuador).
*''
Restrepia jesupiana'' (Venezuela).
*''
Restrepia lansbergii'' (NW. Venezuela to NC. Peru).
*''
Restrepia limbata'' (Colombia).
*''
Restrepia mendozae'' (SE. Ecuador).
*''
Restrepia metae'' (Colombia).
*''
Restrepia mohrii'' : Mohr's restrepia (Peru).
*''
Restrepia muscifera'' : Fly-carrying restrepia (S. Mexico to Ecuador).
*''
Restrepia nittiorhyncha'' (Colombia).
*''
Restrepia pandurata'' (Colombia).
*''
Restrepia pelyx'' (Colombia).
*''
Restrepia piperitosa'' (Peru).
*''
Restrepia portillae'' (Ecuador).
*''
Restrepia purpurea'' : Purple restrepia (Colombia).
*''
Restrepia radulifera'' (Venezuela).
*''
Restrepia renzii'' (Venezuela).
*''
Restrepia roseola'' : Rosy restrepia (Venezuela).
*''
Restrepia sanguinea'' : Blood red restrepia (Colombia).
*''
Restrepia schizosepala'' (NE. Ecuador).
*''
Restrepia seketii'' (Colombia).
*''
Restrepia tabeae'' : Tabe's restrepia (Colombia).
*''
Restrepia teaguei'' : Teague's restrepia (Ecuador).
*''
Restrepia tentaculata'' - now synonym of ''Lindleyalis tentaculata'' (Poepp. & Endl.) Luer 2004
*''
Restrepia trichoglossa'' : Hairy tongued restrepia (Mexico - Chiapas to Ecuador)
*''
Restrepia tsubotae'' (Colombia).
*''
Restrepia vasquezii'' : Vasquez' restrepia (Bolivia).
*''
Restrepia wageneri'' (NW. Venezuela).
Gallery
Image:Restrepia antennifera Orchi 02.jpg, '' Restrepia antennifera''
Image:Restrepia aristulifera Orchi 01.jpg, ''Restrepia aristulifera''
Image:Restrepia aspasicensium Orchi 01.jpg, ''Restrepia aspasicensium''
Image:Restrepia brachypus Orchi 01.jpg, ''Restrepia brachypus''
Image:Restrepia contorta Orchi 02.jpg, ''Restrepia contorta''
Image:Restrepia cuprea Orchi 01.jpg, ''Restrepia cuprea''
Image:Restrepia dodsonii Orchi 01.jpg, ''Restrepia dodsonii''
Image:Restrepia elegans.jpg, ''Restrepia elegans''
Image:Restrepia falkenbergii Orchi 01.jpg, '' Restrepia falkenbergii''
Image:Restrepia flosculata Orchi 02.jpg, ''Restrepia flosculata''
Image:Restrepia guttulata Orchi 01.jpg, ''Restrepia guttulata''
Image:Restrepia iris Orchi 01.jpg, ''[Restrepia iris''
Image:Restrepia lansbergii Orchi 01.jpg, ''Restrepia lansbergii''
Image:Restrepia muscifera Orchi 01.jpg, '' Restrepia muscifera''
Image:Restrepia nittiorhyncha Orchi 01.jpg, ''Restrepia nittiorhyncha''
Image:Restrepia pandurata Orchi 01.jpg, ''Restrepia pandurata''
Image:Restrepia roseola Orchi 01.jpg, ''Restrepia roseola''
Image:Restrepia sanguinea Orchi 01.jpg, ''Restrepia sanguinea''
Image:Restrepia teaguei Orchi 01.jpg, ''Restrepia teaguei''
Image:Restrepia trichoglossa.jpg, ''Restrepia trichoglossa''
Image:Restrepia wageneri Orchi 01.jpg, ''Restrepia wageneri''
References
External links
*
*
Photos of Restrepia orchids
{{Taxonbar, from=Q376622
Restrepia,
Epiphytic orchids
Pleurothallidinae genera