Epidendrum ampelomelanoxeros Hágsater, E.Santiago & E.Parra 2013 GROUP Ampelospathum

TYPE Drawing by © Jimenez, Hágsater & E.Santiago and The AMO Herbario Website

EARLIER

Common Name The Climbing E melanoxeros-Like Epidendrum

Flower Size 1.4" [3.5 cm]

Found in southern Colombia at elevations around 3350 to 3400 meters as a medium to large sized, cold growing terrestrial or epiphyte on remnant trees alng streams with simple, cane-like, terete stems developing the new one from the middle of the previous stem and carrying 6 to 18, suberect, alternate, articulate, coriaceous, dark green purple above, narrowly ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, acute, minutely denticulate margin leaves that blooms in the late winter and earlier spring on a terminal, erect, racemose, arching-nutant, peduncle 2.4 to 2.8" [6 to 7 cmm] long, thin, laterally compressed, erect straight, 7.2 to 9.8" [18 to 24 cm] long overall, simultaneously 17 to 26 flowered inflorescence with prominent but much shorter than the ovary, linear-lanceolate, acuminate, amplexicaul floral bracts and carrying resupinate, fleshy, greenish yellow tinged reddish flowers.

"Epidendrum ampelomelanoxeros belongs to the GROUP Ampelospathum, characterized by the scandent habit, with new stems produced from the middle of the previous stems, roots produced at the base of the main stem, and occasionally from the base of the successive stems, an apical, arching, racemose inflorescence subtended by 1 to 2, large, acute spathaceous bract, and flowers with a 3-lobed lip and 2 small, basal calli. The species is recognized by the scandent habit, with new stems produced from the middle of the previous stems, roots produced at the base of the main stem, and occasionally from the base of the successive stems, an apical, arching, racemose inflorescence subtended by 1 to 2, large, acute spathaceous bract, and flowers with a 3-lobed lip and 2 small, basal calli. The new species is recognized by the .64 to .72" [16 to 18 mm] long, acuminate sepals, obliquely oblanceolate, acute petals, and by the dolabriform lateral lobes of the lip, the apical margin erose. It resembles Epidendrum ampelospathum Hágsater & Dodson, from the Cordillera Oriental in southern Ecuador, which has smaller flowers, sepals .42 to .56" [10.5 to 14 mm] long, short-oblong, sub-acute, minutely apiculate, petals widely ovate-sub-trullate, rounded, 5-veined, and the lateral lobes of the lip reniform, obliquely orbicular, rounded; flowers dry dark brown in herbarium specimens. The flowers are similar to those of Epidendrum melanoxeros, but the vegetative habit is caespitose, the new stem produced from the base of the previous stem, leaves narrowly elliptic, apex rounded, the flowers yellowish green; the flowers dry black in herbarium specimens. Epidendrum klotzscheanum Rchb.f. has tall stems, to 80" [2 meters] tall, produced from the base of the previous stem, leaves lanceolate, 7 to 10" [17.5 to 25 cm] long, the inflorescence is densely many-flowered, the flowers fuchsia to ochre tinged with pink." Hagsater etal 2013

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; *Icones Orchidacearum 14 plate 1405 Hagsater & Santiago 2013 drawing fide; Orchids of the Department of Valle de Cauca Colombia Vol 2 Kolanowska, Hagsater, Ayala and Saldana 2014 drawing fide; Orquideas, Tesoro de Colombia Vol 2 Ortiz & Uribe 2017; Icones Orchidacearum 16(1) plate 1686 Hagsater etal 2018 in recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 17(1) Plate 1766 Hagsater & Jimenez 2019 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 18(1) plate 1817 2020 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 18(1) plate 1823 2020 see recogniton section

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