IOSPE PHOTOS

Epidendrum megagastrium Lindl. 1853 GROUP Geminiflorum

Photo by Š Erica Moron de Abad/Drawing by R Jimenez M and The AMO Herbario Website

and Common Name or Meaning The Large Bulging Belly Epidendrum

Flower Size 1.44" [3.6 cm]

Found in Ecuador and Peru in seasonally dry forests in steep protected arroyos in the high sierras at elevations of 2900 to 3700 meters as a small sized, cold growing epiphyte and lithophyte with lateral, terete, simple, cane-like, produced from the middle internodes of the previous stem, terete at base, somewhat laterally compressed towards the apex; base covered by tubular, non-foliar, scarious and becoming fibrous with timesheaths stems enveloped by tubular, scarious sheaths and branching from below the middle all carrying 4 to 7, aggregate at the apex of the stem, articulate, alternate, spreading, fleshy-coriaceous, oblong, oblong-elliptic, obliquely bilobed apically, clasping basally, thick, coriaceous leaves that blooms in the winter and summer on a terminal, arising through a tubular at base, conduplicate towards the apex, membranaceous, margin entire spathe, subumbellate, racemose inflorescence arising from a long spathe, peduncle .96" [2.4 cm] long, totally hidden within the spathe, rachis very short, 2.8" [7 cm] long (including flowers), simultaneously 3 flowered inflorescence with much shorter than the ovary, narrowly triangular, acute, embracing floral bracts and usually carrying . .non-resupinate, erect, fleshy, brown-orange flowers with the column pale green; fragrance not registered

"Epidendrum megagastrium belongs to the GROUP Geminiflorum , characterized by the sympodial, scandent, straggling habit, the semi-ovate spathe, the erect stems with 3 to 10 coriaceous leaves, and few non-resupinate flowers, and the lip with laminar calli, disc flat. The species is recognized by the leaves elliptic, 1.2 to 2" x .72 to .92" [3.0 to 5.0 x 1.8 to 2.3 cm], inflorescence 2.8" [7 cm] long including the 3 flowers, brown-orange, column pale green, sepals .82 X .324" [20.5 x 7.6 mm], petals .74 X .188" [18.5 x 4.7 mm], oblong-elliptic, lip narrowly cordiform, obtuse, with an obvious mid-rib and two very short lateral ribs. Epidendrum azuayense Hágsater & E. Santiago has leaves .4 to 2" x .32 to .6" [1.0 to 5.0 x 0.8 to 1.5 cm], oblong-elliptic, inflorescence 2.2" [5.5 cm] long with two orange flowers, column green, sepals .52 to .72" x .2 to .24" [13 to 18 x 5.0 to 6.0 mm], petals .48 to .64" x .2 to .24" [12 to 16 x 5.0 to 6.0 mm], oblanceolate, oblique, lip .32 to .36 x .44" [8.0 to 9.0 x 11 mm], widely cordiform, obtuse without ribs. Epidendrum philocremnum Hágsater & Dodson has leaves .8 to 2" x .36 to .68" [2.0 to 5.0 x 0.9 to 1.7 cm], ovate to narrowly elliptic, inflorescence 2.4 to 3.2" [6 to 8 cm] long, with 2 green concolor flowers, lip sometimes tinged purple-brown, sepals.48 to .6" x .12 to .216" [12 to 15 x 3 to 5.4 mm], petals .48 to .56" x .0812 to .1" [12 to 14 x 2.3 to 2.5 mm] oblong, lip 3-lobed, mid-lobe triangular without ribs. Epidendrum cuencanum Schltr. also has elliptic leaves, but these are wider and larger, 1.8 to 3.6" x .6 to 1.72" [4.5 to 9.0 x 1.5 to 4.3 cm], 2 to 5 flowers, greenish white, sepals and petals similar in size, but petals linear, and lip .52 x .5" [13 x 12.5 mm], cordiform, acute, without ribs. ,A href="epigeminiflorum.htm">Epidendrum geminiflorum Kunth 1816 has greenish maroon flowers, sepals .52" [18 mm] long, lip .48 X .4" [12 x 10 mm], 3-lobed, widely ovate, lateral lobes semi-orbicular, rounded, mid-lobe triangular acuminate without ribs. Hagsater etal 2019

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