Epidendrm falsiquisayanum Hagsater & Santiago 2021 GROUP Quisayanum

LCDP Photo by © L. Mayse & A. Cisneros Icones Orchidacearum 18(2) Plate 1869 Hagsater & Jimenez 2021

Common Name The False E quisayanum Epidendrum

Flower Size .8" [2 cm]

Found in Imbabura province of western Ecuador on roadbanls at elevations of 1400 to 2600 meters as a miniature sized, cool to cold growing, subcaespitose, erect to straggling terrestrial with simple, cane-like, terete, straight stems with the basal part forming a creeping rhizome, the rhizomatous part covered by tubular, non-foliar, scarious sheaths and carrying 6 to 12, all along the stem, distichous, alternate, dorsally green, ventrally red-purple, sub-coriaceous, narrowly ovate, obtuse, minutely apiculate, apical margin erose leaves articulate below into the minutely striated, pale green spotted red-purple sheaths that blooms in the summer and fall on a terminal, arising through a tubular-conduplicate, narrow at base, gradually widened towards the obtuse apex spathe, flowering only once, erect, peduncle .4 to .6" [1.0 to 1.5 cm], terete, thin, erect, straight, nearly totally hidden within the spathes, rachis .6" [1.5 cm] long, erect, laxly, successively 3 to 4 flowered inflorescence with much shorter than the ovary, narrowly triangular, acute, embracing floral bracts and carrying non-resupinate flowers.

"Epidendrum falsiquisayanum belongs to GROUP Quisayanum which is recognized by the plants with ovate to narrowly ovate leaves, apical, erect inflorescence with non-resupinate flowers, the peduncle nearly totally hidden by 1-2 tubular spathes, the lip entire embracing the column, and excavated towards the base reminiscent of Malaxis. The new species is recognized by the erect, 3 to 4 flowered inflorescence, flowers pink with the excavate base of the lip white, sepals .36 to .44" [9 to 11 mm] long, and the lip cordiform, embracing the apex of the column, and the margin a stronger pink. Epidendrum bianthogastrium Hágsater & Dodson has 2 green flowers tinged copper, sepals 8.0-9.5 mm long, and the lip triangular. Epidendrum polyanthogastrium Hágsater & Dodson Epidendrum quisayanum Schltr. has 3 to 4 fuchsia-colored flowers, the disc of the lip white and cordiform, with thickened veins radiating from the calli." Hagsater etal 2021

"The species appears to be sympatric with E. quisayanum in the area between Otavalo and Selva Alegre. Epidendrum falsiquisayanum is hought to be a possible hybrid between E. quisayanum and E. polyanthogastrium. This is a study which should be further explored." Hagsater etal 2021

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Icones Orchidacearum 18(2) Plate 1869 Hagsater & Jimenez 2021 LCDP Photo/photo fide

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