Epidendrum beatricis-vasqueziae Hagsater, J S Moreno et Duarte 2021 GROUP Difforme

TYPE LCDP Photo by © J S Moreno and Icones Orchidacearum 18(2) Plate 1858 Hagsater & Jimenez 2021 and the AMO Herbaria Website

Common Name Beatrice Vasquez's Epidendrum [Colombian orchidist in Popayan]

Flower Size 2.4" [6 cm]

Found in southern Cauca department of Colombia in very wet lowland tropical rainforests at elevations under 300 meters as a miniature to small sized, hot growing epiphyte with a simple, cane-like, slightly flexuous, somewhat laterally compressed stem carrying 4 to 5, all along the stem, lower ones smaller, articulate to the tubular, laterally compressed, somewhat ancipitose, infundibuliform, pale green sheath, fleshy, elliptic to narrowly ovate, bilobed apcially, margin entire, spreading concolor green leaves that blooms in the spring on a terminal, on a mature stem, lacking a spathe, 2" [5 cm] long, rachis much abbreviated, sessile, enveloped basally by a very wide embracing bract, clearly veined and dorsally with a low keel, successively until all open at once 2 to 5 flowered inflorescence with an ovate-triangular, acuminate, embracing , shorter than the ovary floral bract and carrying, resupinate, menthol scented flowers.

"Epidendrum beatricis-vasqueziae belongs to the DIFFORME GROUP which is characterized by the caespitose, sympodial plants, fleshy light green to glaucous leaves, the apical inflorescence without any spathe, sessile, rarely with a short peduncle, oneflowered to a glomerule, fleshy, and flowers green to yellowish-green, rarely white. The species is recognized by the somewhat compressed stems with 4 unequal leaves, the 2 to 5flowers , opening in succession but evetually all open at one time, large, the sepals 1.46" [36 mm] long, the petals 1.24" x .368" [31 x 9.2 mm], narrowly rhombic, base cuneate, the lip 3-lobed, strongly revolute in natural position with the lateral lobes obliquely revolute thus appearing triangular from in front, lateral lobes obliquely sub-orbicular, mid-lobe trapezoidal, the apex widely crescent shaped, and the column .36" [9 mm] long, short and thick. Epidendrum putumayoënse Hágsater & L. Sánchez has shorter stems, 1.6" [3.5 cm] long, sepals .98 to 1" [24.5 to 25.0 mm] long, narrowly oblanceolate, petals .92 to 194" x .1 to .12" [23.0 to 23.5 x 2.5 to 3.0 mm], narrowly oblanceolados, lip .48 x .96" [12 x 24 mm] obtrapezoid. Epidendrum platychilum Schltr. has similarly sized flowers, sepals 36 mm long, laterally compressed stems, 1 to 2 green flowers, and inflated, terete ovary, a cordiform lip with several prominent veins, and a column .36" [9 mm] long, thin. Epidendrum pseudokillipii Hágsater & L.Sánchez has taller plants, to 15.2" [38 cm] tall, 7 leaves, smaller flowers, sepals .68 to .72" [17 to 18 mm] long, petals .64 X .26" [16 x 6.5 mm], obovate-spatulate, the lip widely cordiform, obtuse, and the column short, .34 to .36" [8.5 to 9.0 cm] long." Hagsater etal 2021

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Orchidacearum 18(2) Plate 1858 Hagsater & Jimenez 2021 drawing/photo fide

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