Epidendrum enantilobum Hágsater 2018 GROUP Bicirrhatum

TYPE Drawing

Photo by Erica Moron/TYPE drawing by R. Jiménez M. © courtesy of Eric Hagsater and Icones Orchidacearum 16(1): t. 1616 Hagsater etal 2018

EARLIER

Common Name The Opposing Lobe Epidendrum [refers to the apical lobes of the mid-lobe of the lip which are completely outstretched in opposing sides]

Flower Size .8" [1 cm]

Found in southern Ecuador and northern Peru on the Andean Tepuis of the Sierra del Cutucú, Ecuador and the Cordillera Oriental of Peru, along the border of the Departments of Amazonas and San Martín at elevations of 1106-2400 meters as a just edium sized, cool to cold growing epiphyte with canelike, terete, thin, especially towards the base stems carrying 13, distributed throughout along the apical half of the stem, sub-erect, fleshy basal sheath tubular, somewhat striated when dry, green, blade narrowly-elliptic, acuminate, smooth, margin entire leaves that blooms in the summer and earlier fall on a terminal, peduncle .8" [2 cm] long, terete, thin, short, nearly totally hidden by 2 linear-lanceolate, acuminate, embracing bracts, rachis terete, thin, short, paniculate, 3, densely 5-7 flowered, subtended by a prominent, clasping bract, arching, dense, simultaneously to 20 flowered inflorescence with progressively shorter, somewhat longer than the ovary, linear-triangular, acuminate floral bracts and carrying resupinate flowers.

"Epidendrum enantilobum is part of GROUP Bicirrhatum characterized by the caespitose habit and simple, short, leafy stems blooming with a compact, nodding inflorescence with conspicuous floral bracts as long as the ovary and carrying many fleshy, green and or white flowers with a deeply bilobulate lip with sometimes cirrhate lobules and thin, unequal pollina with the inner pair being smaller without being of the bird-wing type. The new species is recognized by the green to cream-colored flowers, lip and column white, sepals .16 to .2" [4 to 5 mm] long, lateral lobes falcate-oblong, mid-lobe forming two opposite narrow ciliate lobes. Epidendrum xelidonourum has very pale greenish white to ochre flowers, base of the sepals, petals and column green, column and lip white, lateral lobes of the lip ¼ circle, mid-lobe basal half sub-rectangular, slightly slimmer at the middle, apical half bilobed, lobes linear triangular, acuminate, arching-divaricate, reminiscent of the tail of barn swallows. Epidendrum brachyblastum has sepals, .24 to .272" [6.0 to 6.8 mm] long, narrow hemi-ovate lateral lobes of the lip, and deep green flowers with lip and apical half of the column snow white. Epidendrum hugomedinae Hágsater has snow-white flowers with keels of the lip tinged violet and the obcuneate mid-lobe formed by two, rounded, somewhat divergent, lobes. Epidendrum bicirrhatum D.E. Benn. & Christenson from northern Peru has pale cream-orange flowers with base of the sepals and petals green, tips of the keels of the lip lavender, flowers are similarly sized, sepals being .184 to .28" [4.6 to 5.2 mm] long, and the lip has denticulate margins on sub-orbicular lateral lobes, and cirrate lobules on mid-lobe. The Bolivian E. ophidion Dodson & Vásquez is quite similar to the latter, but has successive, yellow flowers with three purple lines on disc, pustulate sepals .24 to .32" [6 to 8 mm] long, and dolabriform lateral lobes with a crenulate margin. Epidendrum tiwinzaënse Hágsater & Dodson species has green flowers with a white lip and apical half of column, and sepals some .28" [7 mm] long, lip terminating in a pair of cirrate lobes." Hagsater etal. 2018

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Orchidacearum 16(1): t. 1616 Hagsater etal 2018 drawing/photo fide; Icones Orchidacearum 16[1} Plate 1666 Hagsater & Sanchez 2018 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 16[2] Plate 1690 Hagsater & Sanchez 2018 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 17(1) Plate 1754 Hagsater & Jimenez 2019 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 18(2) Plate 1887 Hagsater & Jimenez 2021 see recognition section

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