Epidendrum cardiostachyum Hágsater & E.Santiago 2015 GROUP Macrostachyum SUBGROUP Macrostachyum

TYPE Drawing by Hagsater & Jimenez and The AMO Herbaria Website

Common Name The Heart Shaped Ear Of Corn Epidendrum

Flower Size 1" [2.5 cm]

Found in northern Ecuador in montane forest on the Amazonian slope of the Andes at elevations of 1900 to 2350 meters as a miniature to small sized, cold growing epiphyte with branching, cane-like, terete, erect stems enveloped basally by non-foliar, tubular sheaths and carrying numerous, all along the stems, 4 to 8 persistent towards the apex of the main stem and branches, articulate, alternate, partly spreading, elliptic, obtuse, apical margin denticulate leaves that blooms in the later spring on a terminal, racemose, erect, straight, without a spathe, ocurring only once, peduncle to .4" [1 cm] long, rachis to 5.2 to 8.8" [13 to 22 cm] long, terete, gradually thinner towards the apex, straight, on the main stem 8.8 to 9.2" [22 to 23 cm] long, branches 4 to 5.6" [10 to 14 cm] long, laxly 20 to 30 on the main stem, 10 to 13 on the branches, many flowered inflorescence with prominent, slightly shorter than the ovary, ovate-triangular, acute to acuminate, amplexicaul floral bracts and carrying non-resupinate, fleshy, waxy yellow to more or less orange, nonfragrant flowers.

"Epidendrum cardiostachyum belongs to the GROUP Macrostachyum SUBGROUP Macrostachyum, which is characterized by the monopodial plants with sub-apical branching, rugose leaf sheaths, large leaves generally spreading, racemose, erect inflorescence, and fleshy flowers generally green to black (ripe olive colored), as well as yellow to pink to purple, with an entire, conduplicate, generally ecallose and pubescent lip embracing the column, and the nectary pubescent to papillose in front of the stigmatic cavity and at least at the base of the lip. The species is recognized by the elliptic leaves, those of the main stem 3.2 to 4.68" x 1.4 to 2" [8 to 11.7 x 3.5 to 5 cm], elongate inflorescence, 8.8 to 9.2" [22 to 23 cm] long, with the flowers clearly spaced, simultaneous, sepals .64 to .68" x .2 to .32" [16 to 17 x 5 to 8 mm], and the lip clearly cordiform, with the margin entire. Epidendrum rostrigerum has oblong-elliptic leaves, those of the main stem 1.6 to 3.6" x .8 to 1.2" [4 to 9 x 2 to 3 cm], inflorescence 5.2# [13 cm] long, the flowers closely spaced, sepals .36 to .4" x .12 to .16" [9 to 10 x 3 to 4 mm], and the lip lunate, nearly semi-orbicular, with the margin minutely crenate. Epidendrum probosantherum Hágsater is vegetatively very similar but the leaves of the main stem narrower 3.6 to 4.72" x 1.16 to 1.32" [9 to 11.8 x 2.9 to 3.3 cm]; the inflorescence very short, densely few-flowered, .4 to .44" [10 to 11 cm] long; sepals .4 to .48" x .12 to .16" [10 to 12 x 3 to 4 mm], and the lip widely triangular with the base truncate. Epidendrum chondrochilum has lanceolate-elliptic leaves 5 to 5.2" x 1.2 to 1.4" [12.5 to 13 x 3.0 to 3.5 cm], an elongate, densely flowered inflorescence up to 12" [30 cm] long, flowers successive, sepals .44 to .46" x .2 to .24" [11.0 to 11.5 x 5 to 6 mm], and the lip widely cordiform with the base only slightly cordate; the flowers are the color of ripe, black olives." Hagsater etal 2015

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Orchidacearum 15 [1] Plate 15 Hagsater & Santiago 2015 drawing fide;

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