Epidendrum yaracuyense Carnevali & G.A.Romero 2000 GROUP Difforme

TYPE Drawing by © Dunsterville

Common Name The Yaracuy Epidendrum [A state in Venezuela where the type species was found]

Flower Size 2" [5 cm]

Found in Yaracuy state of Venezuela at elevations around 800 to 1000 meters as a miniature to small sized, warm growing epiphyte with an erect, laterally flattened, fractiflex stem enveloped completely by leaf sheath bases carrying light green, at times rather dirty in aspect, not thick, very rigid, sharp keeled, sharp margined, generally minutely apiculate leaves that blooms in the winter on a terminal, on a maturing stem, in groups of three or four arising through a thin, pale, green bract, well concealed within the uppermost leaf, single flowered inflorescence.

"Epidendrum yaracuyense, from Venezuela, which has belongs to the GROUP Difforme , which is characterized by the sympodial, caespitose habit, fleshy, light green to glaucous leaves, apical, sessile inflorescence lacking spathaceous bracts, rarely with a short peduncle, inflorescence one-flowered to sub-corymbose, flowers green to yellowish-green, rarely white. The species is recognized by the the apiculate apex of the leaves, the lip reniform, only slightly cordate at the base, margin entire, with two small, sub-globose calli and an arched column. Epidendrum holtonii has ancipitose stems, and the transversely elliptic-reniform to obscurely 3-lobed lip, the base deeply cordate, the basal margin undulate, lateral lobes elliptic, midlobe very small, forming two small, rounded lobes, the apex with a wide, apiculate sinus, and the small, divergent calli. Other species which could be confused with this species grow in the Amazon basin of Peru such as E. apaganoides D.E.Benn. & Christenson which has a 3-lobed lip, the disc fleshy, and a slightly arching column. Epidendrum apaganum Mansf. has smaller leaves, the lip 3-lobed, small, sub-globose calli, and the disc of the lip with numerous thickened veins. Epidendrum pseudoapaganum D.E.Benn. & Christenson has large plants with numerous flowers, and the lip reniform without thickened veins." Adapted from E holtunii Icones 12 Plate 1254 Hagsater etal 2009

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Venezuelan Orchids Illustrated Vol 2 Dunsterville & Garay 1961 as E apaganum drawing fide; Orchids of Venezuela, An Illustrated Field Guide Dunsterville, G.C.K. & Garay, L.A., 1979 Neolehmannia apagana drawing fide; *Orchids Venezuela, ed. 2: 1135 G.A.Romero & G.Carnevali, 2000 drawing fide; Orquideas Nativas del Tachira Fernandez 2003 photo good; Icones Orchidacearum Vol 8 Plate 827 Hagsater & Sanchez 2006 see recognition section; Icones Orchidaaearum 12 Plate 1254 Hagsater etal 2009 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 14 Plate 1430 Hagsater & Santiago 2013 See recognition section;

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