TYPE Drawing by R. Jiménez M. and The AMO Herbario Website

Common Name The Olmedo Epidendrum [refers to the Cantón Olmedo, Ecuador where the species was first collected]

Flower Size 1.2" [3 cm]

Found in Loja province of Ecuador in scrub montane semi-deciduous forest with dense nightly fog at elevations around 2100 meters as a medium sized, cold growing epiphyte with simple, cane-like, terete, thin, straight, base covered by several tubular, non-foliar, scarious sheaths. and carrying 3 to 4, aggregate towards the apex of the stem, alternate, distichous, articulate, sub-coriaceous; sheath tubular, minutely striated; blade elliptic, acute, margin entire leaves that blooms in the summer on a terminal, erect, without a spathe, peduncle .6 to 1" [1.5 to 2.5 cm] long, thin, ancipitose; rachis .2 to 1.32" [0.5 to 3.3 cm], sinuous, thin 1.2 to 1.92" [3.0 to 4.8 cm] long, apical, racemose, arching, successively few to several, 4 to 11 flowered inflorescence with shorter than the ovary, narrowly triangular, acuminate, embracing floral bracts and carrying resupinate, reddish brown flowers with the fragrance not registered.

"Epidendrum olmedoense belongs to the GROUP Arbusculum SUBGROUP Incomptum characterized by the successive lateral growths produced from the middle of the previous growth, few leaves aggregate towards the apex of the stems, a short apical inflorescence, with fleshy flowers, lip entire to trilobed. The new species is recognized by the reddish brown flowers, sepals ovate-elliptic, dorsal sepal 3-veined, petals narrowly oblanceolate, .52" [13 mm] long, lip 3-lobed, lateral lobes orbicular, about .2 x .24" [5.0 x 6.0 mm], the mid-lobe transversely rectangular .08 x .28" [2.0 x 7.0 mm], bicallose, the disk of the lip with 3 parallel ribs, the mid one longer than the laterals. Epidendrum yambalense Hágsater & Dodson has green flowers, the lip flushed with purple, sepals oblanceolate, lip 3-lobate, the lateral lobes somewhat longer than broad, .22 x .2" [5.5 x 5.0 mm], and the mid-lobe sub-quadrate, only slightly wider than long, .16 x .24" [4.0 x 6.0 mm]. Epidendrum macuchiense Hágsater & E.Santiago has smaller green flowers, petals linear-oblanceolate, about .4" [10 mm long], bifurcate near the middle, lip trilobate, lateral lobes suborbicular, mid-lobe quadrate-cuneate .132 x .2" [3.3 x 5.0 mm]. Epidendrum carchiense Hágsater & Dodson has olive green flowers, dorsal sepal 5-veined with one secondary vein at each side of the main vein, petals .76" [19 mm] long, lip 3-lobed, the lateral lobes sub-ovate, about .32 x .36" [8.0 x 9.0 mm], the mid-lobe trapezoid .12 x .32" [3.0 x 8.0 mm]." Hagsater etal 2020

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Orchidacearum 17(2) Plate 1784 Hagsater & Jimenez 2020 TYPE Drawing/Photo fide;

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