Epidendrum quisayanum Schltr. 1916 GROUP Quisayanum
Photos by © Jay Pfahl
Photo by Andy's Orchids, Copyright © 2002 All rights reserved
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Common Name or Meaning The Quisaya Epidendrum [a town in Pichincha province of Ecuador]
Flower Size .8" [2 cm]
Found in Ecuador in upper montane cloud forests on the western slopes of the Andes on steep, wet, rocky embankments in moss at elevations of 2250 to 3300 meters as a small sized, cold growing epiphyte or lithophyte with short stems branching from near the base or from the midpoint of the previous stem and enveloped completely by distichous, leafless and leafbearing sheaths and carrying fleshy, coriaceous, ovate, obtuse apically, dark green, narrowing below into the quasi-cordate leaves that blooms in the later spring, summer and fall on a terminal, racemose, often successively single, 3 to 5 flowered inflorescence with 2 enlarged, basal sheaths.
"Epidendrum quisayanum belongs to GROUP Quisayanum which is recognized by the plants with ovate to narrowly ovate leaves, the apical, erect inflorescence with non-resupinate flowers, the peduncle nearly totally hidden by 1 to 2 tubular spathes, the lip entire embracing the column and excavated towards the base reminiscent of Malaxis. The species is recognized by the leaves .6 to 1.4" x .4 to .72" [1.5 to 3.5 x 1.0 to 1.8 cm], ovate, obtuse, coriaceous, dorsally green, underside reddish green, the 3 to 4 fuchsia-colored flowers with the disc of the lip white surrounded by a dark fuchsia band and then the lip margin paler, the sepals .4 to .44" [10 to 11 mm] long, obtuse, and the lip cordiform with thickened ribs radiating from the calli. Epidendrum bianthogastrium Hágsater & Dodson has leaves .44 to 1.28 x .2 to .36" [1.1 to 3.2 x 0.5 to 0.9 cm], ovate, acute, 2, green flowers, tinged copper, sepals .32 to .38" [8.0 to 9.5 mm] long, acute, and a lip triangular with an excavated disc of the lip ornamented with minute papillae. Epidendrum polyanthogastrium Hágsater & Dodson has leaves .8 to 1.64" x .36 to .52" [2.0 to 4.1 x 0.9 to 1.3 cm], ovate, obtuse to bilobed, sulcate, green to purple, concolor, 6 to 7 copper-green flowers, sepals .32 to .38" [8.0 to 9.5 mm] long, acute, and a lip narrowly triangular with the disc excavated, minutely papillose. Epidendrum amplexigastrium Hágsater & Dodson has a trilobed and cuneate lip, with the lateral lobes semi-obovate and directed forwards and embracing the column in natural position so that the lobes are tightly overlapping over the column and hiding its apex. Epidendrum marsupiale F.Lehm. & Kraenzl. has a lip with lateral lobes separated by deep sinuses and spreading in front of the column instead of embracing it and overlapping. Epidendrum falsiquisayanum Hágsater & E.Santiago has a 3 to 4 flowered inflorescence, flowers pink with the excavate base of the lip white, sepals .36 to .44" [9 to 11 mm] long, and the lip cordiform, embracing the apex of the column and the margin a stronger pink.
In previous publications (Hágsater & Dodson 1999, 2001) this group was designated as the GROUP Megagastrium, but the recent publication of the Icones of that species (Santiago & Hágsater, 2019) clearly places Epidendrum megagastrium Lindl. in the Epidendrum falsiquisayanum Hágsater & E.Santiago has 3 to 4 non-resupinate flowers, pink, with a more acute lip, and is similar to Epidendrum polyanthogastrium Hágsater & Dodson , which has been on the internet under E. quisayanum, but is easily distinguished." Hagsater etal 2021
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Icones Planetarum Tropicarum Plate 483 Dodson 1989 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 3 Plate 373 Hagsater & Sanchez 1999 in recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 4 Plate 417 Hagsater & Sanchez 2001 in recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 4 Plate 482 Hagsater & Sanchez 2001 in recognition section; Orchid Digest Vol 71 No 1 2007 photo fide; Las Orquideas del Peru Izerskyy & Bezverhov 2011 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 85 #2 2016 photo fide; Orquideas, Tesoro de Colombia Vol 2 Ortiz & Uribe 2017 photo fide; Icones Orchidacearum 17(1) Plate 1739 Hagsater & Jimenez 2019 see recognition setion; Icones Orchidacearum 18(2) Plate 1853 Hagsater & Jimenez 2021 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 18(2) Plate 1869 Hagsater & Jimenez 2021 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 18(2) Plate 1889 Hagsater & Jimenez 2021 LCDP/Photo fide;
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