IOSPE PHOTOS

Epidendrum carmelense Hágsater & Dodson 1993 GROUP Kalopternix SUBGROUP Garayi

Photo by Š Roland Jimenez checked by Hagsater

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

LATER EARLY

Common Name The El Carmelo Epidendrum [an area of north central Ecuador]

Flower Size 7/8" [2.2 cm]

Found in north central Ecuador in wet cloud forests in tree tops at elevations around 3360 meters as a miniature to medium sized, cold growing epiphyte with a pendent stem formed by 4 internodes, the first one short, the others elongate, the last one forming a narrowly ovoid pseudobulb with new growths arising from the basal internode of the previous stem, and carrying a single, apical, narrowly lanceolate, acute leaf that blooms in the later winter and early spring on a terminal, occuring only once, pendent, sessile, .1" [2.5 mm] long, 1 to 2 flowered inflorescence carrying pendent, simultaneously opening, musky to honey scented flowers.

"Epidendrum carmelense is part of the GROUP Kalopternix SUBGROUP Garayi characterized by the pendent chain of stems, arising each from a sub-apical internode of the previous stem, each with 1 to 3 linear-lanceolate leaves, inflorescence apical, flowering only once, 1 to 2 flowered, the flowers non-resupinate, greenish to reddish, the lip cordiform. The species is closely related to E. garayi Lojtnant. Both species can be recognized by the pendent plants with the stems thickened apically into small pseudobulbs, but E. carmelense has a single leaf at the apex of the pseudobulb and the lower part of the stem is covered by bladeless sheaths, while in E . garayi the sheatha bear leaf blades identical to the apical leaf. These species have been incorrectly described as having lateral inflorescence, due to a misinterpretation of the habit of the plants." Hagsater etal 1993

Synonyms

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