Epidendrum cocuyense Hágsater & E.Santiago 2016 GROUP Excisum SUBGROUP Frederici-guilielmi

TYPE Drawing by © Jimenez and The AMO Herbaria Website

EARLIER THROUGH

Common Name The Sierra Nevada del Cocuy Epidendrum [A Mountain within the department of Arauca Colombia]

Flower Size 1.2" [3 cm]

Found in Cundinamarca, Boyaca and Arauca departments of Colombia on the slopes of the Cordillera Oriental at elevations of 3000 to 3400 meters as a medium sized, cold growing epiphyte with simple, cane-like, basally terete, somewhat laterally compressed in the apical half, erect, straight stems enveloped by tubular, non-foliar, scarious sheaths and carrying 4 to 5, suberect, alternate, articulate, subcoriaceous, somewhat conduplicate basally, narrowly elliptic, acute, margin entire leaves that blooms in the winter through late summer on a terminal, erect, arising through a basally tubular, conduplicate in the upper half, acute, amplexicaul spathe, racemose to paniculate, 2 to 3 short racemes at the base of the rachis of the main larger raceme, arching-nutant, peduncle 2.6 to 3.6" [6.5 to 9 cm] long, thin, laterally compressed, provided with a single, bract near the apex, similar to the spathe but shorter, rachis slightly flexuous, successively to 30 flowered inflorescence with prominent, much shorter than the ovary, linear-triangular, acuminate, clasping floral bract and carrying resupinate, fleshy, green, tinted or flecked purple-pink flowers with deeply tinted purple pink lip and column apex.

"Epidendrum cocuyense is closely related to the GROUP Excisum SUBGROUP Frederici-guilielmi, recognized by the tall, unbranched stems, 3 to 5, unequal leaves, and the sub-erect inflorescence with prominent spathe. The species is recognized by the lax inflorescences, sometimes with up to 2 short branches near the base of the inflorescence, successive flowers, sepals partly spreading, .6 to .64" [15 to 16 mm] long, the lip with a pair of small, orbicular lateral lobes, and the mid-lobe oblong with the apex bilobed, the ovary forms a 135° angle near the apex, where it is thickened. Epidendrum sisgaënse Hágsater has larger, more robust plants, a racemose inflorescence with larger flowers, sepals .76 to .8" [19 to 20 mm] long, the dorsal sepals reflexed, nearly parallel to the ovary, lateral lobes of the lip semi-ovoid, and the mid-lobe rectangular. Epidendrum trulliforme Garay & Dunsterville also has successive flowers, but the color is reddish green with the lip green and the calli white, the dorsal sepals is spreading and the lip trullate to sub-hastate with the base cuneate and the apex obtuse. Epidendrum carlos-uribei Hágsater & E. Santiago is vegetatively very similar, but the flowers are brownish orange with the lip and base of the petals yellow, flowers slightly larger, sepals .68 to .84" [17 to 21 mm] long, lateral lobes of the lip dolabriform, and the mid-lobe cuneate." Hagsater etal 2016

Synonyms

ReferencesW3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Icones Orchidacearum 15 [2] Plate 1575 Hagsater & Sanchez 2016 see recognition section; *Icones Orchidacearum 15 [2] Plate 1578 Hagsater & Santiago 2016 Drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 16[1} Plate 1654 Hagsater & Sanchez 2018 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 17(1) Plate 1798 Hagsater & Jimenez 2019 see recognition section;

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