Epidendrum veraguasense Hágsater 1992 GROUP Ramosum SUBGROUP Flexicaule

TYPE Drawing by © Jimenez, Hágsater & E.Santiago and The AMO Herbario Website

Common Name The Veraguas Epidendrum [A Province of western Panama]

Flower Size .85" [2.1 cm]

Found in Panama in rainforests at elevations of 650 to 1500 meters as a miniature to small sized, warm to cool growing epiphtye with a branching, sinuous, cane-like, terete stem that is longer than the branches, with 6 similar leaves, branching from the subapical internodes and these producing new branches from the subapical internodes, and carrying alternate, subcoriaceous, all along the stems, elliptic-ovate, apically bilobed, margin entire leaves that blooms in the earlier fall through mid winter on a terminal, occuring only once, simple, distichous, sinuous, smooth 2 to 3 flowered inflorescence arising on the main and flowering stems, with a basal bract and conduplicate, prominent, slightly longer than the ovary, ovate floral bacts and carrying 2 to 3, simultaneously opening flowers.

"Epidendrum veraguasense belongs to the GROUP Ramosum which is characterized by the monopodial, branching stems, the spike-like, distichous inflorescence, and the single callus, and the SUBGROUP Flexicaule which has a straggling plant habit, the main stem is not very evident, and the sepals have a dorsal keel which is generally prominent. The species is recognized by the white flowers, the mid-vein of the lateral sepals towards the apex, the large lip, .32 x .26" [8 x 6 mm], constricted above the middle, and the nectary only penetrates' half the ovary and forms a prominent vesicle behind the perianth. It is similar to Epidendrum ramosum which also has short « 2" [5 cm], wide leaves, up to .6" [15 mm], but relatively large green flowers, sepals .44" [11 mm] long, the lip constricted below the middle, .256 to .18" [16.4 to 4.5 mm], and the deep nectary without forming a prominent vesicle. It is also similar to Epidendrum flexicaule Schltr. which has copper-green flowers and the leaves are consistently longer 2"+ [5 cm *], narrower .32" [« 8 mm], and a similar-sized lip, .28 x .24" [7 x 6 mm] and rounded sepals and petals." Hagsater 2008

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; *Orquidea (Mexico City) n.s. 12:286 Hagsater 1992 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 9 Plate 948 Hagsater 2007 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 11 Plate 1123 Hagsater 2008 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 11 Plate 1144 Hagsater 2008 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 11 Plate 1183 Hagsater 2008 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 11 Plate 1195 Hagsater & Sanchez 2008 drawing ok; Icones Orchidacearum 13 Plate 1327 Hagsater & Santiago 2010 See recognition section;

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