Epidendrum capitellatum C.Schweinf. 1943 GROUP Capitellatum Type for the group

TYPE Drawing by © M Lopez R and The AMO Herbaria Website

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Common Name or Meaning The Small Headed Epidendrum [refers to the capitate, sessile inflorescence]

Flower Size .4" [1 cm]

Found in northern Peru at elevations of 2700 to 3000 meters as a small sized, cold growing epiphyte with a simple, cane-like, straight, laterally compressed stem carrying several to many, ovate-lanceolate, acute, fleshy, basally clasping leaves that blooms in the late winter and spring on an apical, racemose, capitate to subglobose inflorescence carrying simultaneously opening resupinate flowers.

Part of the GROUP Capitellatum and often confused with E pterogastrium see that species if the lip has 2 sleeping policeman-like calli instead of thin lamina-like calli.

"Epidendrum capitellatum belongs to the GROUP Capitellatum which is characterized by the erect, succulent stems with non-articulate leaves, with a spherical head of fleshy greenish flowers, and without any spathaceous bract. The species is recognized by the thin, tall stems produced from an elongate repent rhizome, succulent straight leaves, not decurved towards the apex, corymbose, spherical inflorescence and the simultaneous white or green flowers with a 3-lobed lip, the smaller midlobe notched and thus bidentate at the apex, the lateral sepals prominently keeled, the laminar keels continuing down the ovary, the margin of the keels erose. It is closely related E pterogastrium , which has a compact, short habit, the fleshy leaves decurved towards the apex, the lip cordate- reniform, with the margin erose and the lip bicallose. The appearance of the stem is somewhat like that of E. vesicaule L.O.Williams but that species has articulate leaves and 2 flowers subtended by semiorbicular, spathaceous bracts." Hagsater etal 2006

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Orchids of Peru Vol 2 Fieldiana Schweinfurth 1959 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 7 Plate 784 Hagsater 2004 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 8 Part 5 Plate 816 Hagsater 2006 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 9 Plate 980 Hagsater 2007 see recognition section; Orchid Species of Peru Zelenko Bermudez 2009 photo fide; Icones Orchidacearum 14 Plate 1445 Hagsater & Santiago 2013 See recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 16[2] Plate 1684 Hagsater & Sanchez 2018 see recognition section; ; Icones Orchidacearum 18(2) Plate 1851 Hagsater & Jimenez 2021 see recognition section

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