Epidendrum ampelospathum Hágsater & Dodson 2004 GROUP Ampelospathum TYPE Drawing by © Jimenez, Hágsater & E.Santiago and The AMO Herbario Website Common Name The Scandent Spathe Epidendrum
Flower Size 1.2" [3 cm]
Found in Ecuador on the eastern slope at elevations around 2600 to 2900 meters as a large to giant sized, cold growing epiphyte or lithophyte with a simple, cane-like, terete basally, laterally compressed above stems produced from the middle of the previous stem and carrying 6 to 7, along the apical half, erect, coriaceous, narrowly lanceolate, acute, smooth, margin entire, somewhat revolute leaves that blooms in the late fall and early winter on a terminal, arching, occuring only once, racemose, to 12 flowered inflorescence arising through 1 to 2, tubular below, conduplicate above spathaceous bracts with triangular, acute, much shorter than the ovary floral bracts and carrying simultaneously opening, resupinate, yellow to yellowish green flowers.
"Epidendrum ampelospathum would appear to belong to the GROUP Ampelospathum characterized by the scandent habit, with new stems produced from the middle of the previous stems, roots produced at the base of the main stem, and occasionally from the base of the successive stems, an apical, arching, racemose inflorescence subtended by 1 to 2, large, acute spathaceous bract, and flowers with a 3-lobed lip and 2 small, basal calli. The species at first
sight is reminiscent of Epidendrum
klotzscheanum Rchb. f. with which it shares the lanceolate leaves, arching, racemose inflorescence subtended by
1 to 2 large, acute spathaceous bracts, and the fleshy flowers with a 3-lobed lip. The new specles has a peculiar habit, with
relatively short stems produced from middle of the previous stem, at around the first leaf, producing plants up to 100" [2.5 meters] tall, the stems with
only 5 to 7 leaves, which are less than .8" [2 cm] wide, and the yellow to yellowish green flowers with very wide, trullate petals. Epidendrum
klotzscheanum Rchb. f. has tall, simple stems, narrower floral segments, a rectangular midlobe of the lip and narrow, oblanceolate petals.
Epidendrum prasinum Schltr. has a pendent, branching habit, with narrowly
elliptic petals. Most other species with spathaceous bracts, and racemose,
many flowered inflorescences and 3-lobed lips have caespitose plants, with
the stems produced from the base of the previous stem. Only Epidendrum alpicoloscandens Hágsater & Dodson, produces the new stems about 1/5th from the base of the previous stem, and the plants are relatively short, with
very narrow floral segments." Hagsater etal 2004
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
*Icones Orchidacearum 7 Plate 703 Hagsater & Sanchez 2004 drawing fide;
Icones Orchidacearum Vol 8 Plate 874 Hagsater & Sanchez 2006 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 14 Plate 1405 Hagsater & Santiago 2013 See recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 16[1} Plate 1653 Hagsater & Sanchez 2018 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 16(1) plate 1686 Hagsater etal 2018 in recognition section;
Icones Orchidacearum 17(1) Plate 1766 Hagsater & Jimenez 2019 see recognition section;
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