''Restrepia'', abbreviated Rstp in horticultural trade, is a small
genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
of 50 species in the
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. Orchids are cosmopolitan plants that are found in almost every habitat on Eart ...
family (Orchidaceae), 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 Mountain Range (; ) are the List of longest mountain chains on Earth, longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range ...
and
Venezuela
Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...
, with some into
Central America
Central America is a subregion of North America. Its political boundaries are defined as bordering Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Central America is usually ...
up to southern
Mexico
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
.
[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 a plant or plant-like organism that grows on the surface of another 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 epiphyt ...
and rarely
lithophytic orchids lack
pseudobulb
In botany, a 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 ''heter ...
s. The erect, thick, leathery leaf is elliptic-ovate in shape. The aerial
root
In vascular plants, the roots are the plant organ, 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 bel ...
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
Etymology
The term ''sepalum'' ...
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 leaves that form an inner whorl surrounding the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often brightly coloured or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''corol ...
s equally end in a thickened club-shaped tip. The long
lip
The lips are a horizontal pair of soft appendages attached to the jaws and are the most visible part of the mouth of many animals, including humans. Mammal lips are soft, movable and serve to facilitate the ingestion of food (e.g. sucklin ...
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, associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale.
Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves in size, color, shape or texture. They also lo ...
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'' : 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
''Restrepia schizosepala'' is a species of orchid endemic to northeastern Ecuador
Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and ...
'' (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
''Restrepia trichoglossa'', commonly called the hairy-tongued restrepia, is a species of orchid found from Mexico (Chiapas) to Peru
Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north b ...
'' : 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
{{Authority control
Restrepia,
Epiphytic orchids
Pleurothallidinae genera