Epidendrum chiquiribambense Hágsater & Dodson GROUP Andean SUBGROUP Moritzii

TYPE Drawing by © Jimenez and The AMO Herbaria Website

Common Name The Chiquiribamba Epidendrum [A town in Loja Ecuador]

Flower Size .6" [1.5 cm]

Found in Loja province of Ecuador without elevational data as a large sized orchid with caespitose, thickened, erect stems carrying a single, apical, articulate, erect, lanceolate, obtuse, margin entire leaf that blooms on a terminal, racemose, erect, occuring only once, peduncle elongate, laterally compressed, ancipitous, erect, straight, simultaneously to 130 many flowered inflorescence with much shorter than the ovary, linear-lanceolate, acuminate, amplexicaul floral bracts and carrying resupinate flowers.

Known only from the type collected by Wallis? [1858 - 1870] and it had no habit, elevational, flower color or fragrance data. Also the area where this orchid occurs is well known and this showy species has never been seen again.

"Epidendrum chiquiribambense belongs to the GROUP Andean SUBGROUP Moritzii characterized by the one-leaved stem, single parallel-sided spathaceous bract, a 3 lobed, membranaceous lip with 2 calli, the margin of the lateral lobes more or less erose to dentate. The species is recognized by the very tall inflorescence, relatively large flowers (for the group), sepals .52" [13 mm] long, 2 calli, and several parallel to radiating, short, keels. Epidendrum uribei A.D.Hawkes (basionym: Epidendrum cebolleta Schltr.) has semi-terete, fleshy leaves, and smaller flowers, sepals .4" [10 mm] long, the midlobe of the lip proportionately shorter and wider. Epidendrum moritzii Rchb.f. has oblong, coriaceous, flat leaves, similar sized flowers, sepals .52" [13 mm] long, but column is straight, and the disc of the lip only has the 2 calli and a single short thickened keel in the middle, without the radiating, short thickened keels." Hagsater etal 2009

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; *Icones Orchidacearum 12 Plate 1222 Hágsater & Dodson 2009 Drawing fide

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