Epidendrum angelguachisacae Hagsater & H.Medina 2023
LCDP Photo by © H Medina
Photos in situ Loja 2800 meters by © Jay Pfahl
Common Name Angel Guaschicaca [Employee of Ecuagenera and discoverer of the species current]
Flower Size .2" [5 mm]
Found in Morona Santiago and Loja provinces of Ecuador in scrub at elevations of 2800 to 2900 meters as a small to medium sized, cold growing epiphyte with a 2.4 to 2.8" [6 to 7 cm], from 3rd internode of the previous stem, terete, erect, base covered by non-foliar sheaths, brown with dark brown dots, turning white and fibrous with age stems carrying 2 to 3, aggregate towards apex of stems, sub-spreading, arching, 1.2 to 3.2" x .4" [3 to 8 × 1 cm], narrowly elliptic-lanceolate, apex narrowly rounded, medium green leaves; wuth tubular, green, sometimes dotted or striped purple sheaths; that blooms in nthe fall on an erect, apical from mature stem, arising through a single, tubular, conduplicate, apex acute, sides parallel spathe, peduncle 8.8–12 × 0.15 long, dark red-brown, sometimes provided near middle, beyond spathe with bract 2.7–4.3 × 0.2 cm, long tubular, apex acute, light brown, rachis, racemose, terete, thin, straight dark red-brown, 3.2 to 3.6" [8 to 9 cm] long, simultaneously, loosely 27 to 30 flowered inflorescence with much shorter than ovary, triangular, acute, embracing floral bracts and carrying resupinate, white flowers with the sepals tinged wine-red, especially towards margins, petals white, lip and column white, base and apex respectively heavily marked with wine-red spots.
"Similar to Epidendrum cylindrostenophyllum of the Cylindraceum Group which are characterized by the sympodial habit, the few leaved stems, the racemose inflorescence with 1 to 2, ancipitose, long, spathaceous bracts with parellel sides and the resupinate, membraneous flowers with the lateral lobes of the lip usually wide, hamate and flat. E angelguachisacae is recognized by the 2 to 3 leaves, 1.2 to 3.2 x .4" [3 to 8 cm x 1 cm], the resupinate flowers, the base color white marked with wine red, the ovary .28 to .42" [7 to 10.5 mm] long, and the lip .12 to .072" [3 x 1.8 mm] narrow, with the lateral lobes .02 x .012" [.5 x .3 mm] flat, oblong, straight, and apically rounded. It resembles Epidendrum cylindrostenophyllum which has greenish white flowers, the ovary .12 to .2" [3 to 5 mm] long, short, and the lip .12 to .16 x .128 to .188" [3 to 4 x 3.2 to 4.7 mm] about as wide as long, with prominent, hamate, lateral lobes .068 x .036" [1.7 x .9 mm] narrow at the base and transversely elliptic and hamate at the apex. The flowers superficially resemble Epidendrum machinense, but that species has a single, longer leaf, 5.2 to 6" [13 to 15 cm] long, one per stem, non-resupinate flowers basically green marked with purple-brown, the lateral lobes of the lip are sub-obovate, twisted, broadly hamate in natural position, and especially the column is short and stocky, .12 x .08" [3.7 × 2 mm], widened towards the apex due to the funnel-shaped clinandrium-hood." Hágsater & H.Medina 2023
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
* Icones Orchidacearum 19[3] 1965 Hagsater and H Medina 2023 photo/drawing fide
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