Epidendrum compressibulbum D.E. Benn. & Christenson 1998 GROUP Compressiblbum
LCDP by © H. A. Medina and Icones Orchidacearum 18(1) plate 1807 2020
Photo by © Carlos Hajek and his Peruvian Orchid Page
TYPE Drawing by © D E Bennett & E A Christenson
Common Name The Compressed Pseudobulb Epidendrum
Flower Size 1/6" [4 mm]
Found in Pataza province of Ecuador and Junin and Huanuco province of Peru on the eastern side of the Andes in wet montane forests at elevations of 600 to 1000 meters as a small sized, warm growing epiphyte with clavate, upper half compressed, lower half semi-terete pseudobulbs enveloped basally by soon evanescent sheaths carrying 2 to 3, apical, oblong, obtuse, coriaceous, basally clasping leaves that blooms in nature in the fall on a apical, loose, many [70 to 100] flowered, 12" [30 cm] long, paniculate inflorescence arising on a newly maturing pseudobulb with up to 12 branches each carrying 10+, minute flowers per branch.
"Epidendrum compressibulbum belongs to the GROUP Compressiblbum which is characterized by the sympodial, caespitose habit, the prominent, laterally compressed pseudobulbs, the 1 to 4 leaves aggregate at the apex, the erect, large, paniculate inflorescence, the flowers numerous and small sepals, a cordiform to widely ovate lip, the nectary short, inflated at the perianth. The species is recognized by the very flat, ancipitose stems, the deeply cordate lip, the callus formed by two arches, hollow beneath and extending into 3 parallel ribs that terminate near the apex of the disc. Epidendrum lumbaquiense Hágsater & Dodson, from northern Ecuador, from the Amazonian foothills of the Andes, has smaller plants, the stems to 3.2" [8 cm] tall, somewhat laterally compressed but not ancipitose, and the lip widely ovate-reniform, the single callus rounded, flat, disc-like.
Here is a list of the Peruvian Epidendrum with true pseudobulbs, E blepharistes, E harmsianum, E microcattleya, E oellgaardii, E parvilabre, E polystachyum, Epidendrum pseudopolystachum, E rupestre, E saxicola and E viviparum.
ReferencesW3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; *Icones Orchidacearum Peruviarum plate 455 Bennet and Christenson 1998 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 3 plate 349 Hagsater, Sanchez and Garcia-cruz 1999 see recognition section; ; LANKESTERIANA 14(1) 2014; Icones Orchidacearum 18(1) plate 1807 Hagsater & Santiago 2020 photos fide; Icones Orchidacearum 18(2) Plate 1861 & 1861a Hagsater & Jimenez 2021 see recognition section
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