Epidendrum braccigerum Rchb.f. 1877 GROUP Megalospathum SUBGROUP Megalopspathum

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Common Name The Bract Covered Epidendrum

Flower Size

Found in Colombia and Ecuador.

"Epidendrum braccigerum Rchb.f. belongs to GROUP Megalospathum SUBGROUP Megalopspathum characterized by the caespitose but branching habit, many-leaved stem, fleshy, oblique leaves, a short, few flowered, raceme subtended by large semi-ovate spathaceous bracts, resupinate flowers, the column more or less united to the lip. The species is recognized by the triangular leaves, the apex acuminate and curved upwards, flowers pale rose, petals linear, the lip flabellate, emarginate E rhomboscutellum has scandent plant habit, relatively narrow, reclinate leaves .8 to 2.4" x .24 to .48" [2 to 6 x 0.6 to 1.2 cm], the inflorescence with 2, greenish yellow flowers, the apex of the petals tinged reddish brown, the petals narrowly oblanceolate-elliptic, acute, the lip ovate-rhombic, its base cuneate, and apex acute, bicallose, with a short mid-rib. Epidendrum scutella Lindl. has a caespitose habit, ovate-lanceolate leaves 1.68 to 4.8" x ,48 to 1" [4.7 to 12 x 1.2 to 2.5 cm], 5 flowered inflorescence, flowers lime green or yellowish green, petals ovate-lanceolate, apex acute, lip widely orbicular to orbicular-elliptic, the base cordate, and has a pair small calli ending in 2 to 3 very short, low ribs, with a longer mid-rib. Epidendrum miradoranum Dodson & D.E.Bennett has up to 4, purple-green flowers, bicolor column, pale purple at the base and intense greenish yellow towards the apex, the lip widely cordiform, obtuse. Epidendrum rhodochilum (Schltr.) Hágsater & Dodson has green flowers, the lip red, smaller sepals .68" [17 mm] long, the lip obovate, obtuse, the margin denticulate. Epidendrum falsum Rchb.f. {I have as a synonym of E Megalospathum] has an oblong-ovate lip, apical margin denticulate, rachis elongate, with 6, laxly distributed flowers, the lip is partly free from the column. Epidendrum vulcanicum Schltr. has green flowers, narrowly lanceolate, 5-veined petals, lip obovate, the apex retuse, column is 5 mm long. Epidendrum lagotis Rchb.f. has narrowly elliptic leaves which are shorter and wider 1 to 1.4 x .4 to .6" [2. to 3.5 x 1.0 to 1.5 cm), oblanceolate petals with the apex rounded, and the lip is orbicular and apically rounded." Adapted from E rhomboscutellum Icones Plate 1481 Hagsater etal 2013

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Icones Orchidacearum 14 Plate 1481 Hagsater & Sanchez 2013 see recognition section; Orquideas, Tesoro de Colombia Vol 2 Ortiz & Uribe 2017 drawing fide;

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