Epidendrum ancipitosum Hágsater & E.Santiago 2016 GROUP Ancipitosum
TYPE Drawing by © Jimenez, Hagsater & Santiago/Photo by © Isau Huamantupa and The AMO Herbario Website
Common Name The 2 Edged Stem Epidendrum
Flower Size .6" [1.5 cm]
Found in Cusco Department of Peru in montane forests at elevations around 3883 meters as a medium sized, cold growing epiphyte with pendent, simple, cane-like, laterally compressed, ancipitose stems basally enveloped by long, tubilar, non-foliaceous, scarious sheaths and carrying 9, all along the stem, held parallel to the stem, partly imbricate, similar in size and shape, green, adaxial side lusterous, abaxial side glaucous, linear-lanceolate, acuminate, margin entire, slightly revolute leaves that blooms in the winter without a psathe, terminal, racemose, pendent, peduncle to .8" [2 cm] long, laterally compressed, thin, 1 to 3 bracted near the base, rachis to 4.8" [12 cm] long, laterally compressed, successivley to 20 flowered inflorescence with shorter than the ovary, lanceolate, acuminate, embracing, greenish brown floral bracts and carrying resupinate, pale green sepals and petals that are slightly tinged reddish brown.
"Epidendrum ancipitosum belongs to the GROUP Ancipitosum which is recognized by the pendent, caespitose plant, ancipitose stems, with many narrow, long linear-lanceolate leaves, an apical racemose inflorescence, without spathes, the flowers pendent, resupinate, with linear petals, and widely cordiform lip, single callus, and devoid of any pilose hairs on either the disc of the lip nor the nectary. The species is recognized by the leaves up to 8" x .6" [20 x 1.5 cm], pendent, parallel to the stem, and the small flowers, sepals .328 to .348" [8.2-8.7 mm] long, the deeply and widely cordiform lip, embracing the column in natural position; with a single callus forming an oblong plate at the base of the lip. We have not been able to place this species in any of our prevously discussed groups within Epidendrum, though the flowers could be vaguely reminiscent of Epidendrum incapachychillum but that species has erect stems, an erect inflorescence, and the flowers are bright reddish orange to yellowish orange. The plants are somemwhat reminiscent of Epidendrum tandapianum Dodson & Hágsater, but in that species the stems are erect, and the leaves somewhat spreading, the inflorescence is both apical and lateral, producing successive flowers, the lip triangular, only slightly cordate at the base, spreading in natural position, and petals are comparatively wide, about half as wide as the sepals." Hagsater etal 2016
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; *Icones Orchidacearum 15 [2] plate 1571 Hagsater & Santiago 2016 drawing fide
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