Epidendrum boylei Hágsater & Dodson 2001 GROUP Mancum SUBGROUP Mancum

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

Common Name Boyle's Epidendrum [American orchid Enthusiast and Discoverer of species]

Flower Size .6" [1.5 cm]

Found in north central Ecuador in paramo, elfin forests at elevations of 2850 to 2860 meters as a to mini-miniature sized, cold growing epiphyte with a erect, cane-like, short, ancipitose stem carrying on the apical half of the stem, coriaceous, elliptic-oblong, unequally bilobed, dorsally keeled, margin crenate apically leaves that blooms in the summer on a terminal, racemose, erect, 2.4" [6 cm] long, terete to laterally compressed, few flowered inflorescence arising through 1 to 2, tubular, oblong, ancipitose, subacute spathes and with much shorter than the ovary to obsolete floral bracts and carrying 4, successive, non-resupinate flowers with brown tepals and a creamy white lip.

"Epidendrum boylei belongs to the GROUP Mancum SUBGROUP Mancum characterized by the sympodial growth, narrow spathaceous bract with parallel sides, erect raceme with non-resupinate flowers and a generally reduced, fleshy lips. The species can be recognized by its small, caespitose plants with brown flowers and a creamy white lip, few flowers, ancipitose stems, erect leaves, petals 3-veined, 3-lobed lip. It's similar to E. mancum, but the latter has orange and yellow flowers, elliptic-ovate, spreading leaves, entire lip. Epidendrum brachyglossum Lindl., is found at lower altitudes, plants are larger, have linear-lanceolate leaves, and a more or less 3-lobed lip." Hagsater etal 2001

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; *Icones Orchidaceaum 4 Plate 420 Hagsater & Salazar 2001 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 7 Plate 763 Hagsater and Sanchez 2004 see recognition section;

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