Epidendrum deltochilum Hagsater & Santiago 2021 GROUP Deltochilum

TYPE Drawing by © R Jimenez M. and Icones Orchidacearum 18(2) Plate 1863 Hagsater & Jimenez 2021 and the AMO Herbaria Website

Common Name The Delta Shaped Lip Epidendrum [refers to the concave lip shape similar to Neptune's Trident]

Flower Size .6" [1.5 cm]

Found in Carchi province of Ecuador at elevations around 3300 metrs as a medium sized, cold growing epiphyte with erect straight, laterally compressed, (possibly somewhat thickened in the middle as the sheaths of the specimen are loose and the stem seems to have shrunk with dehydration] carryijng 5, all along the stem, 2 persistent at the apex, spreading, subcoriaceous, sheaths laterally compressed, tubular, minutely striated, scarious, blade elliptic, apex rounded, margin entire, spreading leaves that blooms in the fall on an erect, without a spathe, peduncle 2" [5 cm] long, laterally compressed, provided in the middle with a single, tubular, laterally compressed, subacute, scarious bract, paniculate, laxly successively several to 27 flowered inflorescence with narrowly triangular, embracing, as long as the ovary floral bracts and carrying non-resupinate, dark olive brown flowers with a white anther and no fragrance.

"Epidendrum deltochilum, for which a new group is proposed, the GROUP Deltochilum , is characterized by the sympodial growth, the few leaved stems with an erect paniculate inflorescence with an inflated, acute bract near the base of the peduncle, and the non-resupinate, successive flowers with a triangular lip. The new species is recognized by the simple stems with an erect, paniculate, laxflowered inflorescence, the peduncle short with a tubular, laterally compressed bract in the middle, 26 mm long, flowers non-resupinate, successive, several open at one time, dark olive brown, anther white, the sepals .4 to .44" [10 to 11 mm] long, petals 1-veined, the lip widely triangular, the corners rounded, membranaceous, apex apiculate, the calli narrow, parallel, and the ovary very short, .24 to .48" [6 to 12 mm] long (nearly as long as the sepals). Epidendrum villenae Hágsater & E.Santiago has a 7 to 10 leaved stems, a simple, distichous inflorescence with 3 to 4 bracts distributed along the peduncle, flowers are lilac with a white triangular lip, the ovary slightly inflated behind the perianth, and the sepals .592 to .624" [14.8 to 15.6 mm] long, petals 3-veined, lip with disc short-pubescent. Epidendrum indanzense Hágsater & Dodson has 7 ovate-elliptic leaves, non-infundibuliform sheaths, the inflorescence is elongate, much longer than the stem, with 8 ancipitose bracts sheathing it, and is pluri-racemose, the flowers green, sepals .6" [15 mm] long, and the lip cordiform, minutely papillose, ecallose, the apex obtuse." Hagsater etal 2021

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Orchidacearum 18(2) Plate 1863 Hagsater & Jimenez 2021 drawing/photo fide

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