Epidendrum cuchibambae F.Lehm. & Kraenzl. 1899 GROUP Cuchibambae
TYPE Photo by Hagsater/TYPE Drawing by © Jimenez and The AMO Herbaria Website
Common Name The Cuchibamba Epidendrum [ A town in Ecuador where the type was collected]
Flower Size 1.6" [4 cm]
Found in Colombia and Ecuador along the eastern slope of the Andes and the Cordillera del Condor in wet mossy forests in well ventilated spots at elevations of 1000 to 2000 meters as a small sized, cool growing epiphyte with cane-like, laterally compressed stems carrying 5 to 8, all along the stem, unequal, progressively larger above, obliquely lanceolate, acute, green leaves that blooms at any time of the year on a terminal, arising through a single, long, narrow, acuminate spathe occuring only once, racemose, arising on a mature stem, peduncle .4 to .6" [1 to 1.5 cm] long, terete, rachis successively single, 1 to 3 flowered inflorescence with similar to the spathe but shorter, long, acuminate floral bracts and carrying non-resupinate, pale green turning yellowish with age, non fragrant flowers.
"Epidendrum cuchibambae belongs to the GROUP Cuchibambae which is recognized by the caespitose habit, apical, sessile inflorescence, but subtended by 2 to 3 prominent, imbricating, acute spathes, and successive flowers produced one by one. The species is recognized by the large flowers with the lip anchor-shaped, with the large lobes retrorse, the flowers are produced singly in succession and the spathe and floral bracts, are all prominent and acuminate. It is closely related to Epidendrum siunii Hágsater & Dodson which has a more square lip, the apex sub-truncate, less deeply cordate and narrower. It is somewhat similar to Epidendrum whittenii Hágsater & Dodson, which also has prominent acuminate spathes and successive flowers, but the pendent plant and flowers are smaller, the flowers white to cream colored and do not have the retrorse lobes which give the anchor-like shape. The flowers are somewhat similar to those of Epidendrum batesii Dodson, but that species produces branching stems and the lip is smaller, and sub-orbicular in overall shape." Hagsater etal 2015
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Orquideologia 29: 1 Hagsater & Medina 2012 photo fide; Icones Orchidacearum 3 Plate 400 Hagsater 1999 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 4 plate 490 Hagsater & Sanchez 2001 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 15 [1] Plate 1517 Hágsater and Sanchez 2015 drawing fide; Orquideas, Tesoro de Colombia Vol 2 Ortiz & Uribe 2017 photo fide; Icones Orchidacearum 16[1} Plate 1653 Hagsater & Sanchez 2018 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 16[2] Plate 1668 Hagsater & Sanchez 2018 see recognition section;
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