Epidendrum platyglossum Rchb.f. 1876 GROUP Arbuscula SUBGROUP Incomptum

Drawing by © Jimenez and The AMO Herbaria Website

LATE EARLY

Common Name The Wide Lip Epidendrum

Flower Size 1.2” [3 cm cm]

Found in Antioquia department of Colombia at elevations of 2000 to 2800 meters as a miniature to small sized, cold growing epiphyte with cane-like, arising from the middle internode of the previous stem, terete, short stem carrying 4, aggregate towards the apex, unequal, narrowly elliptic, acute, arching leaves that blooms in the late summer and early fall on a terminal, erect, racemose, peduncle .52" [1.3 cm] long, laterally flattened, ancipitous, flexuous, short, 1.68" {4.2 cm] long, simultaneously 3 flowered inflorescence with 1/3 the length of the ovary, triangular, acuminate floral bracts and carrying resupinate flowers with the sepals and petals greenish, the column and lip tinged somewhat rose colored.

"Epidendrum platyglossum belongs to the GROUP Arbuscula SUBGROUP Incomptum, which is characterized by the sympodial growth, with each new growth arising from the middle of the previous growlh, usually not branching, the few leaves aggregate towards the apex of the stem, and a few-flowered arching, racemose inflorescence, the flowers fleshy, greenish. The species is recognized by the, unequal, long, acute leaves, acute to acuminate tepals, the lateral sepals prominently aristate, relatively narrow, obtuse petals, and the deeply cordate lip with the lateral lobes somewhat larger than the midlobe which is obcuneate, bilobed and retuse. Epidendrum tamaense Foldats has larger, fleshy, green to olive-green flowers turning yellowish, the lip marked with purple, the aristate sepals, wider, obtrullate, the 3-lobed lip with the lobes subequal in size, the lateral lobes suborbicular; that species is found on the Andes along the Colombian-Venezuelan border and in central Ecuador. The Ecuadorian Epidendrum homoion Hágsater & Dodson is similar, but the flowers are somewhat smaller, the sepals and petals shorter, not aristate, and the .52 to .64 x 1.04 to 1.12" [14 to 16 x 26 to 28 mm] lip has semiorbicular lateral lobes, and a smaller midlobe." Hagsater etal 2007

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 7: 250 Schlechter 1920; Icones Orchidacearum 9 Plate 974 Hagsater 2007 photo fide; Icones Orchidacearum 14 Plate 1458 Hagsater & Sanchez 2013 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 18(1) plate 1812 Hagsater & Cisneros 2020 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 18(1) plate 1830 Hagsater, Pfahl & Cisneros 2020 see recognition section

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------