Epidendrum diosanense Hágsater, Edquén & E.Santiago 2018 GROUP Arbuscula SUBGROUP Incomptum

Flower detail,P. LCDP Photo /TYPE Photo © by J. D. Edquén and The AMO Herbario Website

Common Name The Diosan Epidendrum [refers to the town where the type was discovered]

Flower Size 1.2" [3 cm]

Found in Amazonas province of Peru in wet, montane, tropical forest at elevations around 3232 meters as a medium sized, cold growing epiphyte with cane-like, terete at base, laterally compressed towards the apex, simple, produced from the middle of the previous stem, sub-erect, straight (larger plants often arching or horizontal due to the weight of the plant); base covered by 3 to 4 tubular, non-foliar, scarious and becoming fibrous sheaths and carrying 2 to 4, aggregate towards the apex of the stem, subparallel to the stem, alternate, articulate, green to greenish brown tubular, minutely striated sheaths; blade oblong-lanceolate, apex obtuse, margin crenulate, spreading leaves that blooms in the fall on a terminal, without a spathe, peduncle .4" [1.0 cm] long, somewhat laterally compressed; rachis 2.8 to 4.4" [7 to 11 cm] long, totally hidden by the flowers, 3.2 to 4.8" [8 to 12 cm]long, apical, racemose, cylindrical, arching-nutant, densely opening in succession from the middle towards the base and apex of the inflorescence, eventually all open simultaneously, 11 to 22 flowered inflorescence with longer than the ovary, triangular, acuminate, embracing floral bracts and carrying resupinate, fleshy, dark brown to greenish brown flowers with the disk of the lip, anther and clinandrium yellow-green and the fragrance was not registered.

"Epidendrum diosanense belongs to the GROUP Arbuscula SUBGROUP Incomptum which is characterized by the successive lateral growths produced from the middle of the previous growth, few leaves aggregate towards the apex of the stems, a short apical inflorescence with fleshy greenish to violet-green flowers with short ovaries, the lip entire to 3-lobed. The species is recognized by the few, long, narrow leaves, to 4.4 x .48" [11 x 1.2 cm], erect, aggregate towards the apex of the stem, the apical, nodding cylindrical narrow inflorescence densely covered by small, brown to greenish brown flowers, sepals .4 to .44" [10-11 mm] long, lip with a prominent, thickened green, semi-orbicular disc. Epidendrum karstenii Rchb.f. has bifoliate stems, the leaves spreading, 1 to 2.4" x .08 to .12" [2.5 to 6 x 0.2 to 0.3 cm], inflorescence 1.4 to 2" [3.5 to 5.0 cm] long, with small greenish brown flowers, column green, apex purple, sepals .24 to .28" [6 to 7 mm] long, lip provided with 3 low ribs. Epidendrum oenochromum Hágsater & Dodson has oblong-lanceolate leaves 1 to 2" x .24 to .32" [2.5 to 5.0 x 0.6 to 0.8 cm], inflorescence not cylindrical, 1" [2.5 cm] long, 6, burgundy-red flowers with column green, sepals .468 to .52" [11.7 to 13 mm] long, lip with a wide mid-rib, disc lacking any other thickening. Epidendrum yambalense Hágsater & Dodson has herbaceous leaves .8 to 3.6" x .28 to .4" [2 to 9 x 0.7 to 0.1 cm], spreading from the stem, inflorescence .8 to 2" [2 to 5 cm] long, with yellowish green flowers, lip tinged purple, sepals .56 to .6" [14 to 15 mm] long, lip with 3 narrow ribs, the lateral pair apically bifid." Hagsater etal 2018

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; *Icones Orchidacearum 16[2] Plate 1671 Hagsater & Sanchez 2018 drawing/photo fide;

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