Epidendrum brevicallosum Hágsater et E.Santiago 2019 GROUP Ampelospathum

TYPE Drawing R. Jiménez M. and AMO Herbaria Website

Common Name The Short Calli Epidendrum [in reference to the short calli that distinguishes this species from the closely related Epidendrum ampliracemum which has large divergent, prominent calli]

Flower Size 1.2" [3 cm]

Found in Cusco department of Peru along the Urubamba river at elevations around 2400 meters as a medium sized, cold growing lithophyte with simple, cane-like, laterally compressed, erect, straight; basal half covered by non-foliar, tubular at base, infundibuliform at the apex, scarious sheaths and carrying 3, erect-spreading, alternate, articulate, coriaceous, unequal in size (the basal one smaller); sheaths tubular, minutely striated; blade elliptic, apex rounded, margin entire, slightly revolute leaves taht blooms in the winter on a terminal, arising through a tubular, small, somewhat ancipitose, obtuse spathe, peduncle 2.4" [6 cm] long, laterally compressed, erect, straight, rachis 8.8" [22 cm] long, straight, 12" [30 cm] long overall, apical, racemose, erect, sub-densely, simultaneously 27 flowered inflorescence with shorter than the ovary, linear-triangular, acuminate, embracing floral bracts and carrying resupinate, somewhat fleshy flowers with the tepals greenish cream colored with a slight purple suffusion and a creamy white lip.

"Epidendrum brevicallosum belongs to the GROUP Ampelospathum which is characterized by the simple, cane-like, few leaved stems with a single, tubular, tight spathaceous bract at the base of a racemose, simple, erect inflorescence; the flowers resupinate. The new species is recognized by the tall plants 23.2" [58 cm] high, with 3 leaves 1.8 to 3.2" x .6 to 1.08" [4.5 to 8.0 x 1.5 to 2.7 cm], elliptic, apically rounded, inflorescence 12" [30 cm] long, petals .592 x .136" [14.8 x 3.4 mm], sub-spathulate, apex rounded; lip with sub-globose, widely separated small calli, and mid-lobe quadrate with the apex truncate and emarginate. Epidendrum chalmersii also from Cuzco, at 3050 m altitude, has smaller plants 8 to 12" [20 to 30 cm] tall, inflorescence 2.4 to 3" [6.0 to 7.5 cm] long, petals .48 x .92" [12 x 2.3 mm], narrowly lanceolate, obtuse, and lip with prominent slightly divergent calli, mid-lobe rectangular-oblong, wider at base. Epidendrum ampliracemum C.Schweinf. has similarly sized plants, ca. 16" [40 cm] tall, leaves 2.68 to 5.3 x 1.2 to 1.76" [6.7 to 13.3 x 3.0 to 4.4 cm], elliptic, apex obtuse, petals linear-oblanceolate, obtuse and oblique, lip 3-lobed, calli small, proximate, subglobose, slightly divergent, mid-lobe of lip sub-quadrate, apex truncate and minutely apiculate. Epidendrum aquilalatum Hágsater & E.Santiago has plants 12.8" [32 cm] tall, 2 leaves 2.32 to 3.2" x 1.12 to 1.4" [5.8 to 8.0 x 2.8 to 3.5 cm], elliptic, apically rounded, inflorescence 6.64" [16.6 cm] long, petals 7.2 x .68" [18 x 1.7 cm], linear-oblanceolate, falcate, acute, and the lip when spread is bird-like, the lateral lobes wing-like, obliquely semi-ovate, and basal half of mid-lobe sub-quadrate forming an isthmus, apical half strongly dilated forming a pair of semi-orbicular, strongly divaricate lobes and ending in a prominent apiculus." Hagsater etal 2019

SynonymsReferences W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Orchidacearum 17(1) Plate 1708 Hagsater & Jimenez 2019 drawing/photo fide

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