Field Copperleaf (Acalypha aristata)
Description
A very beautiful, small to medium sized, pendant growing Epidendrum found only in south western Mexico in moist pine-oak forests at elevations of 1800 to 2500 meters as a cold to cool growing epiphyte or occasional lithophyte with a wonderfully odd growth habit, producing a chain of pendant 1 to 6 2.5 to 15 cm long, thick, fusiform-shaped pseudobulbs enveloped basally in youth by several, imbricate, scarious sheaths and carrying 3 to 5, dark green 4 10 cm long, acute, basally clasping leaves, emerging from the newest matured growths are 2 to 4 long, arching, racemose inflorescence bearing 5 to 10, very beautiful, 2 1/ 5.6 cm, simultaneously opening, nocturnally fragrant soap flowers, the starry blooms have green to coppery-brown sepals and petals, and a green pointy lip with a prominent red disc. Blooming occurs from the winter until early summer.Many authorities cite this one as a synonym of C parkinsonianum but it is quite different so I leave it as a separate species.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum: Magnoliophyta
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Class: Magnoliopsida
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Order: Malpighiales
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Family: Euphorbiaceae
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Genus: Acalypha
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