Epidendrum skutchii Ames, F.T.Hubb. & C.Schweinf 1936 GROUP Conopseum SUBGROUP Propinquum

Drawing

Photo/Drawing by © Hagsater and The AMO Herbaria Website

Common Name Skutch's Epidendrum [American Naturalist, Ornithologist and Philosopher in Costa Rica 2004]

Flower Size .8" [2 cm]

Found in Chiapas state of Mexico and the Sierra de los Cuchumatanes in Guatemala at elevations around 1100 to 1860 meters as a giant sized, cool growing epiphyte with branching, heteromodular by substitution, the distal modes diminishing markedly in size compared to the basal modules, cane-like, terete, thin, straight; stems nearly totally covered by tubular, non-leaf-bearing, sheaths, becoming scarious and fibrous with time and carrying 2 to 4, aggregate towards the apex of each stem, sub-coriaceous, sub-erect, articulate, distichous, linear to linear-lanceolate, acuminate, margin entire leaves that bloosm at most any time of the year on a terminal, occuring only once, arching, peduncle filiform, 1.2 to 1.6" [3 to 4 cm] long, with 1 to 2, linear-lanceolate, acuminate, amplexicaul basal bracts, rachis short, filiform, fractiflex, simultaneously 4 to 5 flowered inflorescence with less than half the length to nearly as long as the ovary, linear-lanceolate, acuminate, amplexicaulmembraneous floral bracts and carrying resupiante, greenish yellow flowers slightly tinged with reddish-purple, the column pale green with a reddish-purple apex.

"Epidendrum skutchii belongs to the GROUP Conopseum SUBGROUP Propinquum which is characterized by the bush-like habit with thin stems, more or less narrow leaves, racemose, few-flowered inflorescence, and the mostly yellow or pale green flowers. The species is recognized by the plants up to 4' [120 cm] tall, linear to linear-lanceolate, grass-like, acuminate leaves, 2.2 to 6.8 x .12 to .36" [5.5 to 17 x 0.3 to 0.9 cm]; the ovary forming a short ventral vesicle behind the perianth, and the lip with radiating, thickened veins, the 3 central veins fused towards the apex. It is very similar to Epidendrum propinquum A.Rich. & Galeotti which has shorter, wider, narrowly elliptic leaves 1.2 to 5.4" x .16 to .68" [3 to 13.5 x 0.4 to 1.7 cm], and the lip smooth, with only 3 simple, parallel keels running down the middle. Epidendrum lignosum La Llave & Lex. (syn. E. ledifolium A.Rich & Galeotti and E. liparidoglossum L.O. Williams) has shorter plants, to 16" [40 cm] tall, with linear-elliptic leaves, .52 to 3.2" x .12 to .36" [1.3 to 8 x 0.3 to 0.9 cm) the apex rounded to obtuse, the inflorescence generally from an abortive, leaf-less growth, the lip smooth, with 3 low, parallel, central keels." Hagsater 2010

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; The Genus Epidendrum Ames 1936; Ceiba Vol 5 No 1 L O Williams 1956; Orquídea (Mexico City). 7(4): 1980 drawing fide; ORQUIDEA (Méx. ) 8( 1) MARZO 1981 photo fide; Icones Orchidacearum 1 Plate 28 Hagsater & Salazar 1990 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 3 Plate 324 Hagsater & Sanchez 1999 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 5-6 Plate 579 Hagsater 2002 see recognition section; Orchids of Mexico Hagsater, Soto, Salazar, Jimenez, Lopez and Dressler 2005; Icones Orchidacearum 11 Plate 1138 Hagsater 2008 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 13 Plate 1384 Hagsater & Santiago 2010 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 14 Plate 1426 Hagsater & Santiago 2013 See recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 15 [1] Plate 1501 Hagsater & Sanchez 2015 see recognition section; Orchid Genera and Species in Guatemala Archila, Szlachchetko, Chiron, Lipinska, Mystkowska and Bertolini 2018

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