Epidendrum cardiomorphum Hágsater & E.Santiago 2016 GROUP Megalospathum SUBGROUP Vesicicaule

TYPE Drawing by Hagsater & Jimenez and The AMO Herbaria Website

Common Name The Heart Shaped Epidendrum

Flower Size 1.2" [3 cm]

Found in central and southern Ecuador in montane forest at elevations of 1700 to 1900 meters as a miniature to small sized, cool growing, pendent epiphyte with simple, cane-like, terete, thin, straight stems carrying 6 to 10, all along the stem, articulate, alternate, subcoriaceous, descendent, falcate, obliquely lanceolate, acute to acuminate, margin minutely papillose leaves that blooms in the fall on a terminal, sessile, peduncle .16" [4 mm] long, enveloped completely by the obliquely hemi-elliptic, conduplicate, acute spathe, subterete, rachis very short, simultaneously 2 flowered inflorescence with much shorter than the ovary, narrowly triangular, acute, clasping floral bracts and carrying resupinate, pale green, membraneous flowers.

" This species is in a group of about 12 species that have often in the past been considered synomonous and are spread from Colombia to Bolivia. The separated species include Epidendrum calyptratoides, Epidendrum calyptratum, Epidendrum calyptrectylosum; Epidendrum chaparense, Epidendrum falcivesicicaule, Epidendrum lagotis, Epidendrum pachyclinium, Epidendrum platypetalum and Epidendrum vesicicaule.

"Epidendrum cardiomorphum GROUP Megalospathum SUBGROUP Vesicicaule characterized by the caespitose but branching habit, many-leaved stem, fleshy, oblique leaves, a short, few flowered, raceme subtended by large semi-ovate spathaceous bracts, resupinate flowers, the column more or less united to the lip, and the SUBGROUP Vesicicaule which has long, 3 to 8, narrow leaves, 8:1-20:1, and a simple lip. The species is recognized by the lanceolate, falcate, green leaves, 1.6 to 3.2" x .2 to .4" [4 to 8.6 x 0.5 to 1.0 cm], the sessile, two-flowered inflorescence, sepals .56 to .72" [14 to 18 mm] long, linear oblique petals, cordiform lip with two small, well formed calli, the disc with three very thin, low, parallel ribs which disappear before the middle of the lip, and with multiple radiating thickened veins; clinandrium-hood slightly surpassing the body of the column, fleshy, straight. Epidendrum vesicicaule has narrowly lanceolate leaves, 1.4 to 2.4"x .16 to .32" [3.5 to 6 x 0.4 to 0.8 cm], the simultaneoussly 4 flowered inflorescence, with sepals .48 to .52" [12 to 13 mm] long, petals straight, lip cordiform with a pair of very fleshy thickened calli continued into a wide, fleshy thickened disc which nearly reaches the apex of the lip; column slightly upturned towards along the basal half, apex truncate, clinandrium-hood fleshy. Epidendrum pachyclinium Hágsater & E.Santiago has similar sized flowers, but the lip is orbicular-cordiform , wider at the middle, and has a clearly arched column with the clinandrium-hood prominent very fleshy-thickened along the margin and slightly upturned; found at 1900 to 2000 meters altitude. Epidendrum falcivesicicaule Hágsater & E.Santiago has been confused with this species, but has a two flowered inflorescence with 1-to 2 semicircular, oblique imbricating spathes, the cordiform lip with a pair of calli, elongate, prominent, on a thickened, rounded, white, spongy platform; the clinandrium-hood is slightly incurved; it is also found at higher altitudes, 1900 to 2700 meters. Epidendrum calyptratum has a 10 to 12 flowered inflorescence, an ovate, acute lip with 2 minute calli, and the sepals are .24" [6 mm] long." Hagsater etal 2016

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Orchidacearum 15 [2] Plate 1574 Hagsater & Santiago 2016 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 15 [2] Plate 1581 Hagsater & Sanchez 2016 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 15 [2] Plate 1590 Hagsater & Sanchez 2016 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 15 [2] Plate 1599 Hagsater & Sanchez 2016 see recognition section;

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