Epidendrum corallinum Hágsater 2009 TYPE Drawing by © Jimenez and The AMO Herbaria Website

Common Name The Coral Red Epidendrum [refers to the coral red flowers]

Flower Size 1" [2.5 cm]

Found in Antioquia department of Colombia on the Cordillera Central at elevations around 3000 meters as a small to just medium sized, cold growing epiphyte? with somewhat thickening but not forming a pseudobulb, cane-like, erect stems enveloped by 3, non-foliar, tubular, obtuse, minutely striated sheaths and carrying a single, apical, articulate, erect, coriaceous, narrowly elliptic, obtuse, margin entire leaves that blooms on a terminal, racemose, arching, occuring only once, peduncle elongate, laterally compressed, erect, straight, nearly totally enveloped by the tubular, laterally compressed, ancipitose, acute, elongate, slightly longer than the leaf spathe, to 4" [10 cm] long, simultaneosuly 9 to 26 flowered inflorescence with shorter than the ovary, narrowly triangular, short acuminate, amplexicaul floral bracts and carrying coral red flowers.

"Epidendrum corallinum belongs to the GROUP Alpicolum SUBGROUP Cyclotylosum characterized by the caespitose habit, 1 to 2 leaved stem, racemose inflorescence with narrow, parallel-sided spathaceous bracts, and flowers with a wide midlobe, and a large fleshy-thickened, rounded disc. The species is recognized by the single, leathery, flat leaf, coral-red flowers, 3-veined petals, the apical margin denticulate, and the fleshy rounded disc of the lip, with a pair of elongate, low, parallel calli at the base of the lip, the three lobes about equal in size, margin of the lateral lobes crenate, with the midlobe relatively wide, pentagonal, the apex thickened. Epidendrum cyclotylosum has pale brown-red flowers, a somewhat similar, fleshy thickened, circular disc, but the stems are bifoliate, petals 1-veined, margin entire, and the margin of the lateral lobes of the lip entire. Epidendrum moritzii Rchb.f. has longer, wider leaves, greenish flowers, a bicallose lip with a short, fleshy keel running to the middle of the disc, without radiating keels, and the midlobe of the lip is rectangular-oblong, with an acute apex. NOTE: The photograph published in Orquídeas Nativas de Colombia 5: #911 seems to belong to this species. We have been wondering about the identity of that plant for the last 15 years, and finally, upon preparing an illustration of the Schmidtchen specimen, it seems we have found it. Both agree in most aspects, though the details of the disc of the lip are unclear: is the disc bisulcate or widely channeled with a pair of elongate calli? The quality of the photograph does not permit a clear view. On the other hand, we have no information on the plant architecture corresponding to the plant photographed.” Hagsater etal 2009

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Native Orchids of Colombia Vol 5 #911 photo fide; *Icones Orchidacearum 12 Plate 1226 Hagsater 2009 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 14 Plate 1435 Hagsater & Santiago 2013 See recognition section; Orquideas, Tesoro de Colombia Vol 2 Ortiz & Uribe 2017;

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