Epidendrum dariense Hágsater, Kolan. & L.Sánchez 2013 GROUP Difforme
TYPE Drawing by © Jimenez/TYPE Photo by Kolanowska and The AMO Herbaria Website
LATE
EARLY
Common Name The Darien Epidendrum [an area of eastern Panama]
Flower Size .8" [2 cm]
Found in eastern Panama in wet lowland forests at elevations of 150 to 200 meters as a small sized, hot growing epiphyte with simple, cane-like, basally terete, laterally compressed above, ancipitouss, flexuous stems carrying 3 to 4, all along the stem, elliptic-lanceolate, bilobed apically, subcoriaceous, smooth, green, margin entire leaves that blooms in the late winter and early spring on a terminal, arising on a mature stem, without a spathe, occuring only once, sessile, successively single to 3 flowered inflorescence carrying resupinate, green flowers.
"Epidendrum dariense is part of GROUP Difforme characterized by the caespitose, sympodial plants, fleshy, pale green to glaucous leaves, apical inflorescence, sessile, rarely with a short peduncle, one-flowered to many-flowered, and then corymbose, without spathaceous bracts, fleshy, green to yellowish-green rarely white flowers. The species is recognized by the small 7-6" [19 cm] tall plants, stems laterally compressed, ancipitose, successive flowers, produced one at a time, ovary terete, with an elongate swollen ventral vesicle occupying the apical 2/3 of the ovary, lip entire, ovate-cordiform, recurved in natural position, with 3 parallel ribs running down the entire length and additional radiating thickened veins covering the disc. It is similar to Epidendrum hunterianum, native to the Atlantic lowlands of Costa Rica and Panama, has tall 10 to 15.2" [25 to 38 cm] erect stems, 5 to 8 leaves, a triquetrous ovary with a ventral vesicle occupying the apical ¼ of the ovary, 4 to 6 simultaneous, smaller flowers with sepals .64 to .68" [16 to 17 mm] long, lip without thickened veins or ribs. Epidendrum pendens L.O.Williams is pendant, growing at elevations of 800 to 1000 meters in Costa Rica and Panama, has taller, 8 to 12 leaved stems 11.6 to 22.4" [29 to 56 cm], apical and lateral inflorescences with 1, rarely 2, simultaneous, large, gray-green flowers with sepals 20 to 21.2" [50 to 53 mm] long, un-inflated ovary, and a 3-lobed lip with numerous thickened veins covering the disc. Other species with a swollen vesicle behind the perianth and thickened veins are Epidendrum platychilum Schltr., endemic to Ecuador with wide leaves .92 to 1.36" [2.3 to 3.4 cm], 1 to 2 simultaneous, large flowers with sepals .14 to .16" [35 to 40 mm] long, and a fimbriate clinandrium-hood. Epidendrum kerryae Hágsater & L.Sánchez is found in the lowlands of western Colombia and Ecuador, has 16.8" [42 cm] tall erect stems with 3 to 11 leaves, 1 to 2 simultaneous flowers, a triquetrous ovary, and the disc of the lip with only central, somewhat thickened ribs. Other species of the GROUP Difforme with thickened veins on the lip include Epidendrum vulgoamparoanum Hágsater & L.Sánchez, E. acroamparoanum Hágsater & L.Sánchez, E. romero-castannedae Hágsater & L.Sánchez, and E. yojoaënse Hágsater & L.Sánchez, but have simultaneous flowers, a 3-lobed lip and do not have a swollen vesicle in the ovary." Hagsater etal 2013
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Orchidacearum 14 Plate 1421 Hágsater, Kolan. et L.Sánchez 2013 Drawing fide; Orchids of the Darien Gap Kolanowska 2014 drawing/photo fide;
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