Epistephium rhombilabium Szlach., Mytnik & Baranow 2013 TYPE Drawing by © Szlach., Mytnik & Baranow

Common Name The Rhombic Lip Epistephium [refers to the lip apex shape]

Flower Size 3.6" [9 cm]

Found in Vaupes department of Colombia on dry exposed slopes of rocky, extremely well drained outcrops, growing in full sun at elevations of 200 to 400 meters as a giant sized, hot growing terrestrial with a branching, erect, leafy stem carrying elliptic-ovate, widest near the middle, acute, amplexicaul basally, shiney when dried leaves taht blooms in the fall on a terminal, 8 to 12" [20 to 30 cm] long, subdense, successively few, to 30 flowered inflorescence with ovate-triangular, obtuse floral bracts.

This species appears to be related to Epis. frederici-augusti, but the lip is transversely elliptic in outline, deeply cochleate in the center, shortly apiculate at the apex, with only a tuft of fleshy hairs at the bottom of lip cavity, the lip claw is shorter, barely reaching 1/4 of the lamina length.

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; *Orchidee (Hamburg) 64: 15 Szlach., Mytnik & Baranow 2013 drawing fide

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