Epidendrum chaparense Dodson & R.Vásquez 1989 GROUP Megalospathum SUBGROUP Vesicicaule
Photo by © Saul Altamirano A. and The Parque Nacional Carrasco, Cochabamba Bolivia, Orquideas del Proyecto Hidroelectrico Ivirizu Website
Photo by © Ivan Jimenez, Jorge Quezada & Juan Carlos Bermejo and the Orquideas de Cotapata Website
TYPE Drawing by © Vasquez and the Epidendra Website
Common Name The Chapare Epidendrum [refers to the region of the collection of the type]
Flower Size .8" [2 cm]
Found in the department of Cochabamba, Bolivia in wet montane tropical forests on steep embankments at elevations around 1880 meters as a small sized, cool growing epiphyte or terrestrial with branched, decumbent to erect stems enveloped by sheaths and carrying 5 to 7, towards the apex, distichous, pale green, elliptic leaves that blooms in the summer on a terminal, erect, very short, arising through a spathe, simultaneously 2 flowered inflorescence carrying flowers that are white with a greenish tint.
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 E. cardiomorphum, Epidendrum calyptratoides, E calyptratum Epidendrum calyptrectylosum, Epidendrum falcivesicicaule, Epidendrum lagotis, Epidendrum pachyclinium, Epidendrum platypetalum and Epidendrum vesicicaule.
"Epidendrum chaparense is part of GROUP Megalospathum 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. has shorter linear-lanceolate leaves, 1 x .32" [25 x 8 mm], a two-flowered inflorescence, flowers smaller, greenish white, sepals .52" [13 mm] long, lip sub-orbicular, with a pair of short, globose calli. Epidendrum falcivesicicaule has lanceolate leaves 1.12 to 2.12" x .32 to .52" [2.8 to 5.3 x 0.8 to 1.3 cm], a 2 flowered elongate inflorescence, with two imbricating spathes, flowers apple green, the calli and disc of the lip white, sepals .72" [18 mm] long, lip widely cordiform, with a pair of calli, elongate, prominent, on a thickened, rounded platform, white, spongy; growing at elevations of 1900 to 2700 meters; column straight, clinandrium-hood slightly incurved. Epidendrum vesicicaule has narrowly lanceolate leaves 1.4 to 2.4" x .16 to .32" [3.5 to 6.0 x 0.4 to 0.8 cm], an orbicular-cordiform lip with a pair of small, parallel, low calli, extended into an elliptic fleshy, thickened disc which nearly reaches the apex of the lip; column slightly upturned towards along the basal half, clinandrium-hood fleshy, truncate, straight; growing at elevations of 3500 to 3800 meters. Epidendrum miradoranum Dodson & D.E.Benn. has ovate-lanceolate leaves .48 to 1.08" x .2 to .4" [1.2 to 2.7 x 0.5 to 1.0 cm], a single apical spathe .64" [16 mm] long, and up to 4 green flowers slightly tinged pale pink, sepals .88 to 1" [22 to 25 mm] long, and the lip rectangular-reniform, with two short, sub-orbicular calli. Epidendrum cardiomorphum Hágsater & E.Santiago has somewhat larger leaves, 1.6 to 3.44" [4.0 to 8.6 cm] long, a single spathe subtending the inflorescence, pale green, membranaceous flowers, the lip cordiform with multiple thickened veins and two small calli, laterally compressed, 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 platypetalum Hágsater has narrowly ovate leaves, .2 to 1.84" x .12 to .44" [0.5 to 4.6 x 0.3 to 1.1 cm], sessile inflorescence subtended by a single spathe, reddish green flowers, the disc of the lip with small calli and white ribs, growing at elevations around 2500 meters. Epidendrum pachyclinium Hágsater & E.Santiago has obliquely lanceolate leaves, 1.12 to 3.32"x .24 to .44" [2.8 to 8.3 x 0.6 to 1.1 cm], a sessile, two-flowered inflorescence, sepals .68" [17 mm] long, the lip orbicular-cordiform with 2 laminar calli and 2 short, inconspicuous ribs; column arched, clinandrium-hood very fleshy, prominent and slightly upturned. Epidendrum lagotis Rchb.f. has ovate-elliptic leaves .8 to 2.4" x .4 to .92" [2 to 6 x 1.0 to 2.3 cm], a single obliquely semi-ovate spathe, sepals .68 to 1" [17 to 25 mm] long, petals widely spatulate, .84 x .32" [21 x 8 mm], and the lip orbicular, with a pair of small sub-spherical calli." Adapted from E falcivesicicaule Icones 15[2] Plate 1581 Hagsater etal 2016
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; *Icones Plantarum Tropicarum Plate 327 Dodson & Vasquez 1989 drawing fide; Orchids of Bolivia VolII Laelinae Vasquez & Isisch 2004 drawing/photo fide; Icones Orchidacearum 15 [2] Plate 1581 Hagsater & Sanchez 2016 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 15 [2] Plate 1599 Hagsater & Sanchez 2016 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 18(1) plate 1805 2020 drawing/photo fide; Icones Orchidacearum 18(1) plate 1824 Hagsater & Santiago 2020 ; The Parque Nacional Carrasco, Cochabamba Bolivia, Orquideas del Proyecto Hidroelectrico Ivirizu Website 2021 photo fide;
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