Epidendrum elephantotis Hágsater & L.Sánchez 2009 GROUP Mancum SUBGROUP Mancum

TYPE Drawing by © M Lopez R. and The AMO Herbaria Website

LATE

Common Name The Elephant Ear Epidendrum [refers to the shape of the lateral lobes of the lip]

Flower Size .4" [1 cm]

Found in southern Colombia at elevations of 2300 to 2700 meters as a small to medium sized, cold growing epiphyte with simple, cane-like, apical 2/3's laterally compressed stems enveloped basally by 1 to 2, partly imbricating, tubular, conduplicate, papery sheaths and carrying 2 to 3, all along the alical 1/3rd of the stem, coriaceous, ovate-elliptic, unequally bilobed, mucronate, margin entire leaves taht blooms in the late spring on a terminal, racemose, peduncle laterally compressed, rachis somewhat laterally compressed, smooth, cylindrical, elongate, lax, simultaneously 13 to 27 flowered inflorescence with much shorter than the ovary, apically much shorter, triangular, acuminate, acute floral bracts carrying non-resupinate flowers without color or fragrance data.

"Epidendrum elephantotis belongs to the GROUP Mancum which is characterized by the sympodial habit, few-leaved stems, racemose inflorescence with 1 to 2 ancipitose, long, spathaceous bracts with parallel sides and the SUBGROUP Mancum has non-resupinate flowers, generally reduced and fleshy lip. The species can be recognized by its 2 to 3 leaved stems, single veined petals, 3-lobed, bicallose lip, the calli larger than the short central keel, and the lateral lobes of the lip dolabriform, oblique, the base rounded the apex acute; midlobe sub-quadrate, apex short emarginate. It is very similar to Epidendrum sarcodes, also from Colombia, but that species has 4-6-leaved stems, large flowers, sepals .28 to .36" [7 to 9 mm] long, 3-veined petals, the lateral lobes of the lip small, semi-circular, entire, the midlobe sub-rectangular, the triangular apex somewhat conduplicate in natural position. Epidendrum sarcoglottis Schltr. from Colombia and Ecuador, has larger leaves 2 to 5.2" x .52 to .88" [5 to 13 x 1.3 to 2.2 cm], an entire, triangular, claw-shaped lip, with a single prominent callus forming a wide, fleshy cushion. Epidendrum violetense Hágsater & Dodson known from Loja, Ecuador, has wider leaves, .52 to .64" [1.3 to 1.6 cm] wide, a reduced, entire lip, with two very prominent calli, occupying 2/3 of the lip, with a short keel in the middle, thus appearing as a thick, 3-lobed structure." Hagsater etal 2009

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Icones Orchidacearum 12 Plate 1241 Hagsater & Sanchez 2009 drawing fide

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