Epidendrum alpicoloscandens Hágsater & Dodson 2001 GROUP Ampelospathum

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

LATE

Common Name The Scandent Alpicolum group Epidendrum

Flower Size .6" [1.5 cm]

Found in Ecuador in disturbed forests at elevations around 2700 meters as a medium to large sized, cold growing epiphyte with simple, cane-like, terete stems producing new stems a short way up the previous stem and carrying 5 to 7, along the apical half, lanceolate, acuminate, margin entire leaves that blooms in the late fall on a terminal, suberect, occuring only once, racemose, nodding, 26 to 44 flowered inflorescence enveloped almost completely by spathaceous bracts with triangular, acuminate, shorter than the ovary floral bracts and carrying simultaneously opening, resupinate pale orange-yellow flowers with the tepals faintly greenish tinted on the outside.

The only member of the GROUP Ampelospathum that is scandent [climbing] in habit all others in the group are caespitose.

"Epidendrum alpicoloscandens belongs to the GROUP Ampelospathum which is recognized by the simple stems, long, narrow spathes, and numerous flowers with fleshy lip, triangular midlobe and roundish lateral lobes; the species has a repent habit, the new stem produced at 2.4 to 3.6" [6 to 9 cm] from the base of the previous stem, narrow, lanceolate leaves up to .34" [8.5 mm] wide, dorsal sepal .28" [7 mm] long and the lateral lobes of the .16 [4 mm] long lip upright, embracing the apex of the column. Epidendrum falcisepalum F. Lehm. & Kraenzl. has shorter plants 12 to 14" [30 to 35 cm], leaves up to .2" [5 mm] wide, shorter inflorescence, fewer flowers, sepals .24" [6 mm] long, the lateral lobes of the lip bilobed and upright, about subequal to the midlobe, margin entire, and the flower in general has a heavier aspect." Hagsater etal 2001

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; *Icones Orchidacearum 4 Plate 407 Hagsater & Sanchez 2001 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 7 Plate 703 Hagsater and Sanchez 2004 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 16[1] Plate 1635 Hagsater 2018 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 17(1) Plate 1748 Hagsater & Jimenez 2019 see recognition section

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