LCDP Photo by © H. R. Quispe M. & J. Chancasana /TYPE photo by © H. R. Quispe M.and The AMO Herbario Website
LATE
EARLY 
Common Name The Curimarca Epidendrum [In reference to the locality where the species was collected]
Flower Size 1" [2.5 cm]
Found in Junín department of central Perú, in the upper basin of the Río Curimarca, an affluent of the Río Uchubamba, on the upper eastern slopes of the Cordillera Oriental de Los Andes in montane humid forest, on Polylepis canoi W.Mend., Oreopanax oroyanus Harms and Miconia sp., at 3450 meters as a small sized, cold growing epiphyte with stems produced from the middle of the previous stem (2nd to 4nd internode, below the first leaf), cane-like, terete stems carrying 5 to 9 distributed throughout the upper half of the stem, spreading, sub-coriaceous; tubular sheath; blade elliptic, acute, smooth, margin entire, spreading leaves that blooms in the late summer and early fall on a terminal, erect, arising through a single, conduplicate, tubular below, open above, narrowly elliptic, acuminate, margin entire, light brown spathe, peduncle 2 to 3.2" [5 to 8 cm] long, elongate, ancipitose, provided with 2 to 3 bracts, up to .92 x .2" [23 x 5 mm], similar to the spathe but progressively smaller and developed as the inflorescence grows, conduplicate, tubular below, open above, narrowly elliptic, acuminate, margin entire, light brown bracts, 17.5 cm long, apical, racemose, arching, nutant, flowering only once, successively few, eventually most open together, 6 to 15 flowered inflorescence with 5- 8 x 1 mm, shorter than the ovary, triangular, acute floral bracts and carrying greenish buff, turning reddish brown as they wilt flowers with the column and lip green and without fragrance.
"Epidendrum curimarcense belongs to the GROUP Ampelospathum which is recognized by the scandent habit, with new stems produced from the middle of the previous stems, roots produced at the base of the main stem, and occasionally from the base of the successive stems, an apical, arching, racemose inflorescence subtended by 1 to 2, large, acute spathes and flowers with a 3-lobed lip and 2 small, basal calli. The new species has short plants, ca. 12" [30 cm] tall, elliptic leaves 1 to 2.92" x .4 to 1" [2.5 to 7.3 x 1.0 to 2.5 cm], a nutant inflorescence, an elongate, ancipitose peduncle with a spathe, .92 x .2" [2.3 x 0.5 cm], that is conduplicate and acuminate with similar but progressively smaller bracts spaced along the peduncle, flowers greenish buff, column and lip green, sepals .64 x .16 to .2" [16 x 4 to 5 mm], and a lip 3-lobed, the base slightly cordate, lateral lobes transversely ovoid, rounded; mid-lobe sub-quadrate and the apex rounded. Epidendrum ampelospathum has plants up to 100" [2.5 meters] tall, the stems with only 5 to 7 leaves, narrowly lanceolate leaves, .448 to .724" x .53 to .64" [11.2 to 18.5 x 1.3 to 1.6 cm], and yellow to yellowish green flowers with very wide, trullate petals, and a 3-lobed lip, the base deeply cordate, lateral lobes reniform, obliquely orbicular, rounded; the mid-lobe triangular, apex truncate, rounded. Epidendrum ampelomelanoxeros Hágsater, E.Santiago & E.Parra has plants to 28" [70 cm] tall, a raceme with 17 to 26 flowers that are simultaneous, fleshy, greenish yellow tinged reddish, sepals 64 to 72" [16 to 18 mm] long, petals obliquely oblanceolate, acute, and dolabriform lateral lobes of the lip with the apical margin erose. Epidendrum totoroënse J.S.Moreno, Hágsater, E.Santiago & Erazo has short, erect, stems produced from the base of the previous stem, to 3" [7.5 cm] tall, with 2 to 4 elliptic leaves, 1 to 2" x .52 to .8" [2.5 to 5.0 x 1.3 to 2.0 cm], an erect inflorescence 5.4" [13.5 cm] long, flowers yellowish brown with the apex of the column and disc tinged purple, sepals .76" [19 mm] long, and the lateral lobes of the lip smaller than the mid-lobe; the flowers are very similar to those of the new species in color and proportions, but the plant habit is clearly different." Hagsater etal 2020
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; *LANKESTERIANA 20(1) Hágsater, W.C.Navarro & H.R.Quispe 2020 photo fide; Icones Orchidacearum 17(2) Plate 1766 Hagsater & Jimenez 2020 Drawing fide;
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
